Meaning and Origin
What does the name Bethlehem mean? Keep reading to find the user submitted meanings, dictionary definitions, and more.
Origin and Meaning of Bethlehem
User Submitted Origins
Hebrew
62%
Arabic
23%
Amharic
8%
English
8%
User Submitted Meanings
- According to a user from Maryland, U.S., the name Bethlehem is of Hebrew origin and means "The place where jesus was born".
- A submission from Maryland, U.S. says the name Bethlehem means "Bethlehem is the town/place where Jesus Christ was born!".
- A submission from Minnesota, U.S. says the name Bethlehem means "It is where Jesus was born" and is of Amharic origin.
- According to 2 people from Argentina and Puerto Rico, the name Bethlehem is of Hebrew origin and means "House of bread".
- A submission from Texas, U.S. says the name Bethlehem means "A common girls' name in Ethiopia" and is of Hebrew origin.
International Interest
Also see international interest
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary
noun Beth"le*hem
Senses
- A hospital for lunatics; -- corrupted into bedlam.
- [Arch] In the Ethiopic church, a small building attached to a church edifice, in which the bread for the eucharist is made.
Etymology: Heb. bēth-lekhem house of food; bēth house + lekhem food, lākham to eat. Formerly the name of a hospital for the insane, in London, which had been the priory of St. Mary of Bethlehem. Cf. Bedlam
Other Dictionary Sources
- A small town near Jerusalem on the West Bank of the Jordan River; early home of David and regarded as the place where Jesus was born
- A town in eastern Pennsylvania on the Lehigh River to the northwest of Philadelphia; an important center for steel production
Wiktionary
From Middle English Bethleem, Bedlem, from Old French Bethleem, from Latin Bēthlehēmum, Bēthleëm, from Ancient Greek Βηθλεέμ (Bēthleém), from Hebrew בֵּית לֶחֶם (bet léchem). Doublet of bedlam.
- A city in the West Bank, believed to be the birthplace of Jesus.
- (obsolete) A lunatic asylum.
- (architecture) In the Ethiopic church, a small building attached to a church edifice, in which the bread for the Eucharist is made.
Bethlehem was also found in the following language(s): Dutch, German, Latin, and Middle English