Tabitha (name)

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Tabitha Given Name
Pronunciation	TAB-i-tha
Gender	Female
Meaning	"gazelle"
Region of Origin	Aramaic
Origin	Biblical
Related names	Tabetha, Tabytha, Tabatha, Tabathina, Tabea, Tabby, Tibby
Wikipedia articles	All pages beginning with Tabitha

Tabitha (TAB-i-tha) is an English language feminine given name, derived from an Aramaic word that meant gazelle. ^[1] The name was most popular 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 2007 it was the 557th most popular name for girls in the United States, having fallen from 531st place in 2006 and from 485th place in 2005.^[2] The name was the 209th most popular name for girls in England and Wales in 2007.^[3]

Alternate spellings for Tabitha include Tabetha, Tabytha, Tabatha, Tabathina, and Tabea. Nicknames include Tabby and Tibby. Tabitha is uncommon as a surname.^[4]

Notable people named Tabitha include:

• Tabitha was a disciple of the early church in Joppa (now Jaffa) who is said to have been raised from the dead by Saint Peter in the Book of Acts. The Greek form of the name, 'Dorcas', is also used there.^[1]
• Tabitha Babbitt - early American toolmaker, inventor of the circular saw
• Tabitha Brown - American pioneer
• Tabitha King - author. Wife of Stephen King
• Tabitha Soren - reporter for MTV News
• Tabitha Stevens - American pornographic actress
• Tabitha St. Germain - Canadian stage actress
• Tabitha Yim - Korean American gymnast

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b} Dorcas (HTML). The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-05.. Columbia University Press.. Retrieved on 2007-04-01.
2. ^ Behind the Name
3. ^ Baby Planners
4. ^ View Name: Tabitha. behindthename.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.