Tabitha

Tabitha (/ˈtæbɪθə/) is an English feminine given name, originating from the New Testament.

For the television series, see Tabitha (TV series).
Tabitha
Pronunciation/ˈtæbɪθə/
GenderFemale
Origin
Word/nameBiblical
Meaning"Gazelle" and "Graceful"
Region of originAramaic
Other names
Related namesTabetha, Tabytha, Tabata, Tabatha, Tabathina, Tabby, Tabi, Tab, Tabbie, Tabs

In the Bible

The English name is derived from an Aramaic word, טביתא ṭaḇīṯā "[female] gazelle",[1] cf. Hebrew: צְבִיָּה‎ Tzviya (classical ṣəḇīyāh). It is a biblical name from Acts of the Apostles (Acts 9:36), which in the original Greek was Ταβιθά, in which Tabitha ('gorgeous' in Greek) is a woman raised from the dead by Saint Peter.

Spelling

Other alternate spellings include Tabytha, Tabatha, Tabata, Tabathina and Tabea. Nicknames include Tab, Tabbi, Tabby, Tabbie, Tabi and Tabs.

US use

The name was common in 18th century New England, and of those born between 1718 and 1745, ranked about 31st as most common female given names, about 0.56% of the population. The name gained a resurgence in the United States in the 1970s and 1980s, when it was ranked among the 200 most popular names for girls. The character Tabitha Stephens, a child witch on the 1960s television situation comedy Bewitched, raised the profile of the name. It has since declined in popularity. In 2009 it was the 647th most popular name for girls in the United States.[2]

UK use

The name was the 209th most popular name for girls in England and Wales in 2007.[3]

As a surname

Tabitha is rare as a surname.[4]

People

Tabitha

Tabatha
  • Tabatha Coffey (born 1967), Australian hairstylist, salon owner and television personality

Fictional characters

Comics

Literature

Movies and television

Video games
  • Tabitha, in the 2010 video game Fallout New Vegas
  • Tabitha, in the DS game Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
  • Team Magma Admin. Tabitha, Team Magma second in command from the Pokémon game franchise. This character is notable for being a rare example of Tabitha being used as a masculine name.

See also

References
  1. "Dorcas". The Columbia Encyclopedia (6th ed.). Columbia University Press. May 2001. Archived from the original on 2007-02-21. Retrieved 2007-04-01.
  2. http://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/babyname.cgi
  3. Baby Planners
  4. "View Name: Tabitha". behindthename.com. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
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