| Tabitha () is an English language feminine given name, derived from an Aramaic word, טביתא ṭaḇīṯā "[female] gazelle", cf. Hebrew: צְבִיָּה Tzviya (classical ṣəḇīyāh). It is a biblical name from Acts of the Apostles 9:36, which in the original Greek was Ταβιθά, in which Tabitha (Dorcas in Greek) is a woman raised from the dead by Saint Peter. Other alternate spellings include Tabytha, Tabahta, Tabathina and Tabea. Nicknames include Tab, Tabbi, Tabby, Tabbie, Tabi and Tabs.
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. The name was the 209th most popular name for girls in England and Wales in 2007.Tabitha is rare as a surname. |
