Tabitha (, Koine Greek Ταβιθά tabitha, Aramaic טביתא tabitha "female gazelle") is an English feminine given name, originating with (or made popular through) Tabitha (Dorcas), mentioned in the New Testament Acts 9:36.
Contents
In the Bible
Tabitha (also known as Dorcas, the Greek equivalent of the name, from δορκάς dorkas "≈ gazelle"), is a woman mentioned in the New Testament. The English name is derived from an Aramaic word, טביתא/ܛܒܝܬܐ ṭaḇīṯā "[female] gazelle", 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, a benevolent woman, dies, then gets resurrected by Peter the Apostle.
Use in the United States and the United Kingdom
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 was ranked among the 1,000 most popular names for girls born in the United States until 2016 and has since declined in usage. There were 142 American girls born in 2024 who were given the name.
The name has ranked among the 300 most popular name for girls in England and Wales between 1996 and 2020.
People with the name Tabitha
Tabitha
Dorcas (Biblical version of the name), or Tabitha (Aramaic version of the name), Christian woman raised from the dead by Saint Peter
Tabitha Arnold (born 1995), American artist
Tabitha Babbitt (1779–1853), American toolmaker and inventor, possible inventor of the circular saw
Tabitha Byron (born 2010), British actress
Tabitha Brown (1780–1858), American pioneer in the Oregon Territory
Tabitha Chawinga (born 1996), Malawian footballer
Tabitha D'umo (born 1973), American choreographer, dance teacher and creative director
Tabitha Ann Holton (c. 1854–1886), first woman licensed as a lawyer in North Carolina
Tabitha Karanja (born 1964), Kenyan businesswoman, entrepreneur and industrialist
Tabitha King (born 1949), American author and wife of Stephen King
Tabitha Love (born 1991), Canadian volleyball player
Tabitha Lupien (born c. 1988), Canadian actress and competitive dancer
Tabitha Nauser (born 1992), Singaporean singer
Tabitha Peterson (born 1989), American curler
Tabitha Sybil Quaye, Ghanaian politician and Member of Parliament (1992–1997)
Tabatha
Tabatha Badger, Australian politician
Tabatha Coffey (born 1967), Australian hairstylist, salon owner and television personality
Tabatha Forbes (born 1972), New Zealand botanical painter and textiles
Places with the name Tabatha
Tabatha, the birth place of Hilarion in Gaza
Fictional characters
Comics
Tabitha Smith, a Marvel superhero character
Literature
Tabitha Twitchit, an anthropomorphic cat who features in the books of Beatrix Potter
Movies and television
Tabitha Lenox, on the NBC daytime drama Passions
Tabitha Stephens, a child witch from the 1960s American sitcom Bewitched and its 1970s spinoff Tabitha
Tabitha Tate, a main character in late seasons in TV show Riverdale
Tabitha Wilson, on the American teen drama series 90210