US Popularity Rank: 1406

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: house of figs

You may have first heard the name Bethany because of reality television's Bethenny Frankel. This similarly pronounced name actually has a history that goes much farther back than the 21st century. According to biblical accounts, Bethany was the name of the village where Jesus spent Holy Week before heading to nearby Jerusalem. This pretty Hebrew name was a particular favorite in the 1970s and 1980s but is not overly common today, which gives it an air of originality.