Betha as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Betha

What is the meaning of the name Betha ?

The baby name Betha is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced BETH-ə,/ˈbɛθə/.

Betha is Gaelic, Hebrew, Irish in Origin.

Betha is chiefly a Scots- and English-use variant of Bethia, itself adapted from the Hebrew Bithiah (bat-Yah), meaning “daughter of Yahweh.” Parish registers in Scotland and northern England show Betha as a simplified spelling alongside Bethia from the 17th century onward. In Gaelic contexts the form can echo beatha, the Irish and Scottish Gaelic word for “life,” a resonance sometimes noted in modern name guides, though the etymological root remains Hebrew.

The name found favor among Covenanter and Puritan families and traveled to colonial New England, then waned in the 19th century. It is now rare but familiar through its components. Variants and cognates include Bethia, Bithiah, and Bathia; related forms are Elizabeth, Elspeth, and Welsh Bethan. Short forms include Beth and Thea, while Betty appears in older records. Betha offers a compact, antique choice with a gentle, theophoric meaning.