Fun Facts About the Name Beulah
- An established favorite: Beulah held a place in the U.S. top 100 for 32 consecutive years, from 1885 through 1916.
- More than 73 thousand babies named Beulah: U.S. records list 73,465 babies given the name Beulah from 1880 through 2025. Even 213 boys received the name Beulah - about 1 boy for every 344 girls.
What Does the Name Beulah Mean?
Beulah is a feminine name derived from the Hebrew word בְּעוּלָה (be'ulah), which means "married" or "espoused." It comes from the root בָּעַל (ba'al), meaning "to marry" or "to rule over." In Hebrew the form is a passive participle that describes a woman who is married, so the literal sense is "married," not "beautiful" or "happy."
In the Hebrew Bible the word appears in Isaiah 62:4, where the land of Israel is given the symbolic name Beulah because it will be "married" to God, replacing the name Forsaken. English translations usually render the Hebrew term as "married," while some keep Beulah as a proper name and explain it in the surrounding words. The later devotional sense "married to God" or "the Lord's bride" is a theological application of that biblical image, not a separate etymology.
Beulah Name History & Origins
Beulah began as a Hebrew biblical word and place-name rather than as a personal name. In Isaiah 62:4 the restored land is called Beulah - "married" - as a sign that God again delights in his people. The name entered English through Bible translation, especially the King James Version of 1611, where the Hebrew word is retained as a proper name.
John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress (1678) gave Beulah a lasting English literary association. Bunyan placed the "Land of Beulah" just before the Celestial City, a peaceful region where pilgrims rest before crossing the river of death. The episode draws directly on Isaiah's image of the married land. Later, the gospel hymn "Beulah Land" (1876), with words by Edgar Page Stites and music by John R. Sweney, spread the same image in revival and church settings.
The personal name Beulah developed among English-speaking Christians, who sometimes gave biblical and symbolic names to children. It was used in England and North America, and it remained recognizable through the Bunyan and hymn traditions. The name is not a biblical personal name; its use as a given name is later than its appearance as a symbolic place-name in scripture.
How Popular is the Name Beulah?
Beulah remained among the top 100 girl names in the U.S. from 1885 to 1916. Its highest annual birth count was in 1916, and people born that year turn 110 in 2026.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,949 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 2024 | #5,028 | 26 | 0.0016% |
| 2023 | #5,781 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 2022 | #10,521 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #6,734 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2020 | #9,043 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2019 | #4,670 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 2018 | #6,845 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2017 | #6,855 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2016 | #7,307 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2015 | #8,075 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2014 | #9,637 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2013 | #8,205 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2012 | #9,198 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2010 | #17,439 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #15,544 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #14,075 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #14,155 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #11,589 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2005 | #11,058 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2004 | #8,804 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2003 | #16,131 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #9,587 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2001 | #12,258 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #11,963 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1999 | #12,906 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #14,438 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #9,120 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #10,715 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1995 | #8,860 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #8,202 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1993 | #13,702 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #10,612 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1991 | #7,017 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1990 | #6,160 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1989 | #5,321 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1988 | #5,085 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1987 | #6,384 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1986 | #5,790 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1985 | #4,474 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1984 | #4,012 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1983 | #4,301 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1982 | #3,909 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1981 | #3,872 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1980 | #3,733 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 1979 | #3,920 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 1978 | #2,945 | 27 | 0.0018% |
| 1977 | #3,620 | 20 | 0.0013% |
| 1976 | #2,871 | 26 | 0.0018% |
| 1975 | #3,065 | 23 | 0.0016% |
| 1974 | #2,350 | 33 | 0.0022% |
| 1973 | #2,634 | 27 | 0.0019% |
| 1972 | #2,687 | 26 | 0.0017% |
| 1971 | #2,255 | 35 | 0.0021% |
| 1970 | #1,782 | 50 | 0.0029% |
| 1969 | #2,060 | 37 | 0.0022% |
| 1968 | #2,301 | 28 | 0.0017% |
| 1967 | #1,363 | 65 | 0.0039% |
| 1966 | #1,647 | 46 | 0.0027% |
| 1965 | #1,394 | 62 | 0.0035% |
| 1964 | #1,246 | 78 | 0.0041% |
| 1963 | #1,141 | 92 | 0.0048% |
| 1962 | #1,167 | 88 | 0.0045% |
| 1961 | #1,126 | 95 | 0.0047% |
| 1960 | #1,221 | 80 | 0.0040% |
| 1959 | #978 | 117 | 0.0058% |
| 1958 | #892 | 131 | 0.0065% |
| 1957 | #851 | 142 | 0.0069% |
| 1956 | #845 | 138 | 0.0069% |
| 1955 | #776 | 153 | 0.0078% |
| 1954 | #657 | 195 | 0.0100% |
| 1953 | #665 | 182 | 0.0097% |
| 1952 | #620 | 201 | 0.0108% |
| 1951 | #552 | 233 | 0.0129% |
| 1950 | #478 | 288 | 0.0168% |
| 1949 | #448 | 317 | 0.0185% |
| 1948 | #439 | 327 | 0.0193% |
| 1947 | #424 | 371 | 0.0209% |
| 1946 | #408 | 353 | 0.0225% |
| 1945 | #347 | 392 | 0.0300% |
| 1944 | #315 | 462 | 0.0348% |
| 1943 | #310 | 503 | 0.0360% |
| 1942 | #306 | 508 | 0.0376% |
| 1941 | #270 | 554 | 0.0459% |
| 1940 | #253 | 621 | 0.0543% |
| 1939 | #259 | 574 | 0.0523% |
| 1938 | #237 | 689 | 0.0624% |
| 1937 | #225 | 719 | 0.0676% |
| 1936 | #221 | 743 | 0.0714% |
| 1935 | #202 | 845 | 0.0806% |
| 1934 | #191 | 931 | 0.0892% |
| 1933 | #189 | 896 | 0.0889% |
| 1932 | #184 | 999 | 0.0936% |
| 1931 | #173 | 1,063 | 0.0998% |
| 1930 | #168 | 1,210 | 0.1075% |
| 1929 | #161 | 1,279 | 0.1145% |
| 1928 | #154 | 1,421 | 0.1232% |
| 1927 | #145 | 1,657 | 0.1390% |
| 1926 | #148 | 1,650 | 0.1392% |
| 1925 | #143 | 1,777 | 0.1460% |
| 1924 | #138 | 2,006 | 0.1606% |
| 1923 | #129 | 2,050 | 0.1699% |
| 1922 | #124 | 2,097 | 0.1746% |
| 1921 | #116 | 2,313 | 0.1876% |
| 1920 | #109 | 2,376 | 0.1983% |
| 1919 | #108 | 2,212 | 0.1957% |
| 1918 | #104 | 2,363 | 0.2041% |
| 1917 | #102 | 2,232 | 0.2064% |
| 1916 | #97 | 2,401 | 0.2299% |
| 1915 | #95 | 2,268 | 0.2305% |
| 1914 | #96 | 1,775 | 0.2331% |
| 1913 | #85 | 1,641 | 0.2628% |
| 1912 | #80 | 1,607 | 0.2879% |
| 1911 | #79 | 1,244 | 0.2974% |
| 1910 | #82 | 1,131 | 0.2852% |
| 1909 | #80 | 1,052 | 0.3030% |
| 1908 | #82 | 1,015 | 0.3036% |
| 1907 | #73 | 1,092 | 0.3428% |
| 1906 | #75 | 980 | 0.3319% |
| 1905 | #77 | 968 | 0.3319% |
| 1904 | #72 | 983 | 0.3570% |
| 1903 | #72 | 920 | 0.3512% |
| 1902 | #77 | 873 | 0.3306% |
| 1901 | #74 | 859 | 0.3589% |
| 1900 | #78 | 974 | 0.3249% |
| 1899 | #76 | 770 | 0.3304% |
| 1898 | #82 | 783 | 0.3026% |
| 1897 | #81 | 688 | 0.2938% |
| 1896 | #77 | 750 | 0.3152% |
| 1895 | #74 | 760 | 0.3253% |
| 1894 | #79 | 675 | 0.3028% |
| 1893 | #80 | 622 | 0.2921% |
| 1892 | #77 | 638 | 0.3005% |
| 1891 | #81 | 526 | 0.2836% |
| 1890 | #79 | 573 | 0.3010% |
| 1889 | #81 | 498 | 0.2792% |
| 1888 | #95 | 426 | 0.2385% |
| 1887 | #90 | 355 | 0.2432% |
| 1886 | #98 | 345 | 0.2387% |
| 1885 | #96 | 309 | 0.2322% |
| 1884 | #113 | 233 | 0.1806% |
| 1883 | #107 | 217 | 0.1932% |
| 1882 | #112 | 190 | 0.1762% |
| 1881 | #112 | 162 | 0.1762% |
| 1880 | #123 | 131 | 0.1440% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | #3,571 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1937 | #3,576 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1936 | #3,595 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1935 | #3,297 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1933 | #3,701 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1932 | #3,117 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1931 | #2,338 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1930 | #3,630 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1928 | #3,392 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1927 | #3,486 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1925 | #3,180 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1924 | #4,417 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1923 | #2,966 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1922 | #3,284 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1921 | #3,003 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1920 | #3,864 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1919 | #4,218 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1918 | #2,904 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1917 | #2,297 | 12 | 0.0013% |
| 1916 | #3,210 | 7 | 0.0008% |
| 1915 | #1,984 | 14 | 0.0016% |
| 1913 | #2,535 | 6 | 0.0012% |
| 1912 | #1,902 | 8 | 0.0019% |
| 1911 | #1,299 | 8 | 0.0035% |
| 1910 | #1,438 | 6 | 0.0031% |
| 1908 | #1,395 | 5 | 0.0032% |
| 1902 | #1,162 | 5 | 0.0041% |
| 1900 | #1,060 | 7 | 0.0047% |
| 1898 | #1,021 | 6 | 0.0049% |
| 1892 | #971 | 6 | 0.0049% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Beulah
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
Established Favorite Girl Names
Explore More Lists with Name Beulah
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with B
How the Name Beulah Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You can go to great heights and equally great depths. You are emotional and fixed in your opinions. You are hospitable, sentimental, often psychic, sometimes moody. You are ruled by love and the lack of it and feel a need to be encouraged and appreciated. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.
✦ Beulah's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Beulah's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.