The Bethel surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 7,573 people carried this name — #4,686 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 38,900 people counted. That is up 4% from 7,285 in 2000.

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In print

Bethel in American newspapers,
1905–1914.

Newspaper page from The Holt County Sentinel carrying the name Bethel
The Holt County Sentinel 1905-07-21
Newspaper page from Evening Times-republican carrying the name Bethel
Evening Times-republican 1914-01-01
Newspaper page from New-york Tribune carrying the name Bethel
New-york Tribune 1910-02-27

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 1,427 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Bethel in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1980s.

6,742 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bethel. The most, 1,189, date from the 1920s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 3,255
Queensland 1,481
Victoria 1,029
Western Australia 416
South Australia 298
Tasmania 227
ACT (Canberra) 12
Northern Territory 4

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bethel.

Who carried it

People named Bethel,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Walter Augustus Bethel
    Walter Augustus Bethel 1866–1954 · lawyer
  • Ernest Bethell
    Ernest Bethell 1872–1919 · war correspondent
  • Ernest Bethell
    Ernest Bethell 1872–1909 · war correspondent
  • Slingsby Bethel 1617–1697 · politician
  • Ellsworth Bethel 1863–1925 · botanical collector
  • Edith Bethel 1871–1929 · political activist

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Bethel,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States926 records

926 records of the Bethel name in the United States
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 314
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 283
  • Other U.S. records 329
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Fred A. Bethel

    Born 1909 in Florida. Enlisted 1942 at New York City; warehouseman from Kings County, New York. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1955, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Augusta Bethel

    Arrived at New York in 1889 aboard the Noordland from Antwerp, aged 18; servant. From Germany; bound for Pennsylvania.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record James Walter Bethel

    Born 1942; from McDowell, West Virginia. U.S. Army, indirect fire infantryman; killed in action 1966 in South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 926 records for Bethel in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia101 records

101 records of the Bethel name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 44
  • Tasmanian Names Index 34
  • Other Australian records 23
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record James Bethel

    Died 1918 in General Hospital, Launceston, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1918.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary A. Bethel

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Sir William Ffolkes, aged 34; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Michael Bethel

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Rodney, sailing from Queenstown in 1852. Native of Clare.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 101 records for Bethel in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).

Canada36 records

36 records of the Bethel name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 28
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 3
  • Other Canadian records 5
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Mary Jane Bethel

    Buried in 1920 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 59.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record John Elton Bethel

    Died 1926 in Reynolds Croft, Shelburne, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record William Edley Bethel

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 36 records for Bethel in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom11 records

11 records of the Bethel name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. C. Bethel

    South Staffordshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. F. Bethel

    Corporal, Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. Bethel

    Duke of Wellington's Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 11 records for Bethel in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Germany8 records

8 records of the Bethel name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Heinrich Bethel

    From Netze, Alfeld. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 12 November 1914 (Brigade Replacement Battalion No. 40).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Otto Bethel

    From Mocker, Thorn. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 28 December 1914 (Infantry Regiment No. 176).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Gustav Bethel

    From Groß Reichenau, Briesen. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 27 December 1916.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Bethel in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

France3 records

3 records of the Bethel name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Rudolph Wilson Bethel

    Born 1977 in Carriacou (Grenade); died 1999 in Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Emilie Bethel

    Born 1904 in Le François (Martinique); died 1991 in Bois-Guillaume (Seine-Maritime).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Lise Agathe Bethel

    Born 1903 in Le François (Martinique); died 1998 in Maisons-Laffitte (Yvelines).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Bethel name in New Zealand Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Lyndon J. Bethel

    Buried in 1942 at Omahu Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 52.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Bethel.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Bethel is.
A volume says what happened to it.

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