Bethany, of Hebrew origin, signifies 'house of song' or 'place of song'. It was once a small village near Jerusalem where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead according to biblical accounts. In modern times, Bethany has been adopted as a popular given name for females.
The name Bethany experienced popularity swings over time, peaking between 1980 and 1983 with 11 births per year, but has since declined, reaching as low as 5 births per year in recent years (1991, 2001).