Bethany

I think Bethany is a great and underrated name. This reminds me of a peaceful field and beautiful sunset. Personally, I prefer using her full name, but I think the nickname Beth is also good in its own way.

This name is adorable and feels attractive for any girl who is named it. It can be wholesome and devious at the same time. Personally, I love it.

One of my favorite names. I knew several Bethany's growing up, some nice some not, but I still think the name is gorgeous.

This name has really grown on me.

I absolutely love this name, in part because of the connection with Our Lord's friends, Saints Mary, Martha and Lazarus, and in part because it sounds lovely and perfect for a girl. I'd love to be called Mary Bethany, Anne Bethany, or simply Bethany. The meaning "house of affliction" is good because it's through sorrows that Our Lord sanctifies His friends, and it's reminiscent of Our Lady of Sorrows.

This is my name. You can’t let the world define your name for you. Regardless what name you or your child end up with, it is up to them to define it. I don’t think it’s kind to come on here bashing any name you don’t particularly like, someone out there has it so be kind. Biblically- “house of affliction” is a very negative description given that if anything it was a house of miracles. Lazarus was raised from the dead and Mary M was delivered from heavy spiritual warfare. I choose to see it as house of miracles and the beauty and strength that it holds. Though I wouldn’t have picked this baby name it is my name until God gives me a new one. I hope you love your name and find the beauty in it as well.

I can only picture this name on a PTA mom.

Underrated and beautiful!

I don't really like this name, but it definitely isn't the worst name in the world!

It's lovely.

Honestly, Bethany is a beautiful and underrated name for a girl. Really like it.

When I was 4-7 yrs old my best friend was called Bethany, but sadly she left my school but now I’m back in contact with her. It’s a very beautiful name and I love the nickname Beth.

It's so beautiful, and works well with beautiful, rare names like this! The name of one of my favorite places in the world, Bethany Beach, Delaware!

That "house of figs" thing has always stumped me. PM me if you know why a house of figs refers to for real.

Confusion aside, I like this name.

This is my name. I guess it's alright. A nickname for this name could be Benny, that's what my family calls me because my brother couldn't say "Bethany" when he was little.

Please please please don’t do this to a poor little girl! I would absolutely hate being stuck with this name!

This sounds like the parents couldn't choose between Elizabeth and Anne, so they just chose both combined. Not a name that I would ever give to my child, but it's far from the worst name out there.

This is my name! I think it's pretty, and I love that it comes from the Bible! I have gotten quite a few compliments on it as well, if you are a Bethany you are blessed with a gorgeous name. (Maybe I'm biased ;P)

I used to hate this name, but it has grown on me! Bethany is a pretty and classic name! It will fit the bearer all throughout her life.

I don’t like it. It has a very unpleasant sound.

Bethany may seem like a great name, but it hides some awful secrets. For example, the awful personality that comes with the name. A person named Bethany may seem sweet at first, but as you get to know them, they begin to reveal their true self. If you name your child Bethany, may God help them and the people around them, for someone always gets hurt in a situation involving a Bethany.

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Good day to you all (especially if your name is Bethany, since you need some good in your life for once.)

People can’t take a joke now-a-days, rubyhater123 was joking.

My first name is Bethany and I have always hated it. Like a deep, passionate, comes from the soul kind of hate. My family mainly calls me Beth or Bee and I like Bee (mostly due to my fascination with bees.. even my wedding band has a bee on it). But the rest of the world call me Gray which is my middle name and fits my look and personality to a T. I’m a heavily tattooed punk/hippie hybrid that swears like a sailor and likes a good edible. I certainly do not think I fit into the dainty good girl sweetness category that the name Bethany seems to throw people in. All of the Bethany’s I have EVER known (and I have met my fair share) have definitely fit that bill. which is why I decided to go by Gray and I have been a lot more confident in introducing myself as such ever since I made the switch.

This name is like vanilla pudding to me: sweet, boring, unremarkable.

My name is Bethany and I like my name. My full name is Bethany Anne B____ so my friends and family call me Babs. I'm also 16, but 17 in June. I heard the meaning of Bethany was "house of figs", never had I heard about the others. Who ever has the same name should be proud to have that name because I am. I feel like it's unique and not very commonly used. Never have I ever pictured a red headed hillbilly raised on a farm. I pictured a person with a strong heart, a will to move on from bad times and a person who would forgive but not forget.

Hi my name is Bethany! I enjoy the name, not many people have it. And I would hate to be called Bethany S in class because we always do that when we have multiple people that share a name. I don't like it when people call me Beth, I just don't think it suits me. I am very athletic and when I think of the name I just think of me but I am pretty sure people think of a soft person who can't do anything for themselves. But I don't like it when people call me Stephanie or Brittany on accident. Otherwise I really like the name!

I don't like this name at all. It sounds rather odd to me. From the names that are nicknames to Beth, I much prefer Elizabeth.

My name is Bethany, and I have only met one other lady named Bethany. It is an uncommon name, but I think that is good because it gives me a certain amount of individuality. Although my name does get confused with 'Stephanie', 'Brittany', or 'Destiny'. Because there is less use of this name, I would like to encourage others to name their daughters Bethany. I have seen on other sites that the meaning is "Daughter of the Lord".

My name is Bethany Lynn. I was actually going to be named Sara but my mom changed it to Bethany just a week before I was born. Good thing I came into this world 10 days after my due date! I love that my name isn’t popular and I didn’t attend school with anyone else named Bethany. I do get called Beth by some but prefer Bethany. When introducing myself I get confused for a Brittany, Stephanie or Daphne! What I love most about my name is I was able to incorporate it into my son’s name, bETHANy. Although Ethan is a wildly popular name now, it suits him and is such a strong name.

I am a Bethany. I have never really thought too much about whether I liked or disliked my name until the last few years (I'm 30 now). I think my name is just "so-so." Don't love it, nor hate it. I actually DO like being called Beth though, which many of my friends call me, along with Bethy (which I am not fond of but let slide with family and old friends.) I have a few other nicknames with friends though, none of which bother me too much... Beth, Bethy, Bethanne (Anne is part of my middle name), Betty, etc. I do get called Brittany, Stephanie, and Tiffany etc., It is actually a running joke at work haha. Doesn't bother me though, one of my besties is actually a Stephanie.
However, I hate correcting it over the phone. I know it is just the way it rolls off the tongue when you say,"This ISsBethany." Every... time.."Stephanie?"..."No... with a B!"
My dilemma is this:
My initials are BL (middle initial also an L), however, whenever I get around to changing my name, they will become "BM"... I am not sure how I feel about this... I was thinking maybe dropping my middle name (also has the letter L), but hate the name itself, and keeping my maiden name. This way, I never have to write "BM" side by side and could just always use "BLM" instead. LOL! I use my first and last initials at my job all day everyday so this is important to me.

My name is Bethany, I actually enjoy my name- only annoying thing is that people call you Brittany or Stephanie a lot. And it gets annoying especially if they call you the nickname "Beth" and they're not a close friend, partner, or family member. Otherwise I enjoy my name. Plus I see the name "Bethany" as a dainty and tom boy name. For me I'm a tomboy, but I do feel like it could be a dainty and tomboy name for women.

My name is Bethany and growing up I've always been mistakenly called Brittany or Stephanie, even when someone would be reading the name straight from a paper. However, I always get compliments saying I have a beautiful name and I feel that it suits me. I absolutely hate the nickname Beth though and wish there was a prettier nickname for it. Overall, it's different but not in a bad way. I've noticed it's slowly gaining more popularity and I can now find it on key chains, haha.

I'm a Bethany as well, growing up I hated my name. I was always being called "Becky" "Stefanie" " "Brittany" and so on. I'm definitely not the "damsel in distress" type nor did I ride horses for a living when I was 8 yrs old. I'm rather tall, I know who I am - very strong mind, body, and soul which led to some interesting nick names over the last 30 yrs (I apologize before hand but I'm only trying to give an accurate review of my life growing up as a "Bethany")
Bitch-any, Barf-any, butt-any, I'm sure by now you get the picture. But hey, kids are crude, rotten, mean little bastards at times and I'll be real if the best you got to throw at me is "Bitchany" I'm good with it... I'd rather be called that then (YUCK!) Beth.. which I think is an ugly mean little fat girl's name that probably smells like cats. I don't know where this strong, deep seated hatred of the name Beth comes from but I'm sure it stems somewhere from my childhood. Over all I'm okay with my name. I was a moderately cute 3 yr old who introduced myself as "Bethany Blue Flower" the blue flower may not be my actual given name, but it's still an extension I will probably never give up.

It's lovely sounding, but it also doesn't seem particularly strong. I see a Bethany as being more of the damsel in distress than the heroine. It's also becoming more and more popular, which is killing some of the beauty it has that comes with less common names. Still, it's a nice choice for a girl's name.

This was my name. I mean "WAS" because I disliked it for so long and ended up changing it. It has serious religious connotations. My family are quite fundamental Christian. I was teased badly as a child, like "Big Betty Bum," and "Betty Big Boobs". Since changing my name, I feel happier.

My name is Bethany. I love being called Bethany because I think it sounds more pleasant to the ear than "Beth." I used to hate my name but I've grown to like it. I think us Bethany's have a uniqueness to us. I can't imagine being called anything else.

How can anyone say the name Bethany is boring? When it's unique and hardly anyone has it. I've read a lot of history books and Bethany is not a popular "bland" name for country people. Or anyone living out on the farm. I love my name. I feel like I am unique and soft, intelligent and intriguing, just like my name. I find names that are boring are like Sarah, Ashley, Morgan, Anna. I know way too many Anna's. So whoever said that name is unique is wrong. I like the end of my name 'any' and with Beth it makes it sound perfect. I don't personally like the name Beth. Too rough sounding. My husband is the only one who calls me Beth, even my parents don't. For a nickname I like Betty. Because it is cute to me. Anyways, reconsider for those who don't like the name Bethany. Because most Bethanys I know are very unique and kind. By the way I was never made fun of for my name. Bethany is really not that bad compared to really weird names nowadays like Blanket, North, Blue etc.

My name is Bethany Brianne. I don't love or hate the name. My family has always called me Bethany. My husband's family has always called me Beth. I actually prefer Beth. I've always been mistaken for Brittany on day 1. The nurse almost wrote Brittany on my birth certificate. I've also been called Stephanie, Betty, Tiffany, and Beth Anne. My middle name was chosen based on my sister who was named after cousins who passed in a house fire. Bethany Brianne goes with Kristina Karianne :)

My name is Bethany May and I honestly don't like my first name. People make fun of me and it's not cool, it sucks. I am an atheist, not a Christian so why do I have this name?

Bethany Kristine is my name.
I had to grow into it, but now I absolutely adore it.
It is a strong, unique, powerful name.
It will be a name passed down to my children.

I like this name.. It's my name.. I was the only Bethany in middle school. My friends say it matches my personality! I get called Beth so often that many people think my name is Beth!

This is my name and I really hate it when someone calls me by my full name, it's too formal. I usually ask people to call me Beth when I first meet them. It does get confused with Brittany far too often which I don't like that much, but overall I'm okay with this name. I mean, it's not that ugly.

A girl I know has unfortunately runied this name completely for me. :| Anyways, I have never really liked the name "Bethany". I wouldn't consider it as "beautiful" AT ALL 'cause I consider it unattractive sounding and very boring (the way it looks and all).

Hmmm...actually this name has grown on me! I think this name is quite cute for a girl! I can get past the mean girl association now. :)

My name is Bethany Erin - I have always LOVED my name! My closest friends called me Beth for short, which I never minded, but I always introduce myself as Bethany, and I love it whenever people call me by my full name. It's beautiful and I have never felt as though it were "homely" or "plain," which I think is a very rude way to refer to a name - whenever people say my name it sounds very elegant and beautiful. However, I'm sure your self-perception (or the way you perceive someone with this name) would affect your feelings about the name Bethany.

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Ironically, I have long red hair, but I didn't grow up on a farm or "ride horses for a living." And I think it was very rude for someone to reference an "eight year old that rides horses for a living" - what eight year old do you know that does anything for a living, and who on earth can make a living riding a horse (aside from a jockey)? For those of you that feel the need to insult the name Bethany, (or red hair, for that matter), or people who grow up on farms - shame on you! I can only assume that your opinions strongly reflect your character - and let's face it, there's no name in the world that can compensate for poor character. I love my hair, it's long and auburn and gorgeous - my hair is admired on a daily basis. Do those of you insulting red hair receive daily compliments on the beauty of your hair color?

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The girl that said the name sounds like someone who is strong, independent, sweet and soft spoken described me perfectly. I am a very successful business owner, I am very intelligent and I think my name is graceful and unique. I receive compliments on my name almost as frequently as I receive compliments on my hair : )

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My name is commonly misheard as Stephanie, Brittany, Betty, Becky and Beverly.

This name is pretty and I like it a lot - it's not too common and the spelling and pronunciation are both great. The only thing I dislike about this name is the nickname "Beth". If this were my name I would never go by Beth, it's a poor replacement for Bethany.

Bethany is my name. I didn't used to think much of it but I actually like it now :) it's a good name and not too common.

Ugh, thank god my mother didn't name me this (which she almost did!) Although I can say that I very much like the nickname "Beth". This name just sounds too prissy for my tastes.

I love the name Bethany, but I'm not such a fan of the nickname Beth.

I love this name- but I would never call a Bethany 'Beth'- it sounds drab and gray. Bethany is Bethany. And I love Stephanie Philine, Britney Nicolette and Bethany Adele as sisters.

It's a real neat and popular name, in movies they use it for a real nice tender loving girl. I love it like I said really popular and neat.

A nicer, classier alternative to the stripper-sounding Britney. Plus, Beth is a really nice nickname :)

I think this is a really pretty name.

A friend of mine named her daughter this a few years back, and I think it's a sweet name that matches perfectly for a cute little girl. Not so sure how it will look when she gets older, though.

I think Bethany is a cute name.

My name is Bethany, too (and I don't ride horses, or do farm chores regularly, or say "I seen"):) I do get called "Brittany" or "Stephenie" quite a bit, or people call me Beth and think it's short for Elizabeth... but I love the names Beth and Elizabeth, so it's not a big problem. The only complaint I have is that my initials are BS... I think that this name, like any name, has its ups and downs:)

Never had a problem with the name Bethany; it's quite nice. I knew a girl in high school with this name--nice person all around. However, I will always associate this name with the movie Dogma--which, for me, isn't a bad association at all. Altogether, even though I much prefer the like-sounding name Elizabeth, I think Bethany's a fine name.

This is my name. It isn't anywhere near my favorite name, but I don't hate it. I have never had any trouble with the pronunciation, as some have. I have heard many different meanings for it, from 'house of poverty' to 'one with God.' And yes, I am a country girl, but that's not what this name makes me think of. I prefer it when it is spelled Bethanie. It makes me think of a well-rounded person, who isn't snobby, but isn't frumpy either.

For as long as I can remember, I've hated this name. For some reason, in spite of having no personal associations with it, it's just always struck me as the name of a snotty mean girl. I've also always had trouble with the TH sound, something that's not uncommon, so there also could be pronunciation issues with people or the girl herself.

My name is Bethany and it was some time before I liked my name. I grew up in a neighborhood where the common names were Shameka, LaToya, and Tameika. I had my family call me Cantar for a while. Now I like the relatively uniqueness of the name. I do dislike it when people call me Stephanie, Tiffany, Brittany and event Daphne. I have to repeat my name for some three times. I had a non native English speaker call me Ms. Betty, but with the accent my name actually sounded good. My family calls me Beth, but I do not like it when others call me that. My close friends started calling me Betania after one of my friend's Spanish speaking grandmother called me that.

My name is Bethany Monique Marion. I have many times been called Stephanie, which greatly irritates me. 'Bethany' in general doesn't have any name-calling nicknames, but my initials are BM, so I sorta wish that my name didn't start with a B. I never get called Beth, except by my teachers. I hate anyone calling me Beth, so I usually get called B by my close friends and close family. But my extended family calls me Ny-Ny.

To me, Bethany is relatively uncommon and very pretty and easy to pronounce. I think of a girl who is strong, independent, sweet and soft-spoken.

My name is Bethany Jane. When I was a kid I thought the name was frumpy-- I would have much rather preferred a name like "Sarah" or "Rachel". But now that I've grown up, Bethany has become one of my favorite names. I think it's modest, pretty, and feminine. Plus, it's relatively uncommon (especially compared to Sarah or Rachel!)

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It does get mixed up with Stephanie and Brittany /all/ of the freaking time.

I know someone named Bethany, and I envy her for it. Her full name is Bethany Rose Teresa. Bethany Rose is her full first name. She loves her name very much and wouldn't trade it for the world. She goes by Beth and few people have teasing names to call her.

This name makes me think of a slightly chubby, homely girl, who is kind-hearted, but not very bright.

My name is Bethany, and I happen to like it thank you very much. I'm from California, and I've never ridden a horse or worn home-spun clothes. Also it means house of unripened figs which has been translated to mean potential. House of God is incorrect, that is Bethel. Bethany is the town in the Bible where Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus lived, and is mentioned in the gospels because Jesus visited there. I do get frustrated when people confuse Stephanie or Brittany with my name (I personally hate both names). But I have never minded if people call me Beth. Most people think they are going to offend me, and ask which I prefer but I always tell them they can use whichever they feel like (most people pick Beth).

I always thought this was a interesting, even pretty name. I have a sister named Bethany. I can't recall all the times I too have had to correct people when they ask how my sister Stephanie/Brittany is doing!

Bleh. This name doesn't seem interesting to me; I don't like it much, though it's not totally ugly or anything. And the meaning is dull too.

I am also a Bethany Lynn. I've never been all that fond of my name, and I also often get the "Brittany? Stephanie?" response. I do like the nicknames I pick up, though; people call me Macbeth, Bethayn, Thayn, and occasionally Thayn of Caudor (Macbeth is one of my favorite plays, so it works for me).

My name is Bethany Lynn and everyone calls me Beth which is fine with me. Folks do often assume that it's short for Elizabeth, but it's nice to have an unusual name that is from the Bible and has a very suitable nickname like Beth. I'm in my early thirties and rarely run into another Bethany. Or many Beths for that matter. It suits me and I like it.

My best friend's name is Bethany. Her full name is Bethany Anne. I think it is beautiful and "Bethany" fits her personality. She doesn't like her name and says it's too common and home-spun. She would prefer to be called "Anne" because few people are named that now-days. I would never name my child Bethany, but I think it's a cute name for a little girl and a dignified name for a woman.

I somehow find this name slightly paltry, homespun, indigenous, and rather uncultivated, along with Shelby and Courtney. Sure it has a very decourous cadence to it, but everytime I ponder in my mind, I picture an eight year old hillbilly red-head who works on a farm and rides horses for a living. I do not mean any harm to any individuals who have experience or are fond of this lifestyle, however this name does not entice to me at all. Even though this is the name of my 14-year-old sister. I would say that it fits her fatuous lifestyle quite well. (No offence, if you ever read this)

It's my name. I hate it, but that hillbilly thing? Coming from a 13 year old?It's not that bad. And no way on terms with Courtney and Shelbee. They appear to me kind of low class names. Bethany if anything is nerdy. That's why I hate it. I don't get called it though, I get called Beth and Betty never ever Bethany.

I agree mostly with Starla-Marie_1993. I do see a young horse lover when I picture this name! But I like the sound of it, and I've known a few girls named Bethany. Some variants I've seen are Bethanie (don't like this too much. Looks odd) and Bethanee (looks a bit like this person might not be all together in the head, but two "ee"s make it looks a little more "ancient", in my opinion).

A good name, not trendy super popular, but not weird either. Easy to say, and to tell the truth, I can't imagine it being confused with Brittany or Stephanie.

It's a pretty name but I don't think I could use it for my daughter. There is just something about it that is kinda sad or something, can't place my finger on it.

My name is Bethany, it's unique. Sometimes I really wish I had a different name because when people ask my name I say Bethany and they're like Brittany?, then they're like Stephanie?, I'm like no it's Bethany! I have to say it like 3 times.

My name is Bethany. Bethany isn't one of my favorite names, but it is sort of unique and not many people use it. It really gets on my nerves when people call me Beth without asking. My nickname is a priviledge for my family and close friends to use. Overall, the name Bethany isn't too bad.

I love this name. It is an easy name to grow up with.

My name is Bethany as well and I personally don't like my name. It is too soft-sounding and it doesn't suit me because I'm quite tough and proud. Everyone at school calls me "Beth" which I absolutely dislike. The 'th' sound really sticks on your tongue.

Well, my name is Bethany and it has caused me some trouble. Most people call me Beth and when they do, people think that it is short for Elizabeth. Also, my teacher's get me confused with the Brittany's in the class. Even though I love my name. My full name is Bethany Layne, and it is unique enough to set me apart, but not way out there where people look at you funny. I was named after one of my mom's friends when she went to a military school in Saudia Arabia. I couldn't be happier with my name.

This is a cute name. I thought "Bethany" was a pet form of Elizabet. But coming from the Bible, it makes sense.