Tabitha
| Pronunciation | /ˈtæbɪθə/ |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Biblical |
| Meaning | "Gazelle" and "Graceful" |
| Region of origin | Aramaic |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Tabetha, Tabytha, Tabata, Tabatha, Tabathina, Tabby, Tabi, Tab, Tabbie, Tabs |
Tabitha (/ˈtæbɪθə/) is an English feminine given name, originating from the New Testament.
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 9:36Template:Bibleverse with invalid book), 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
- Dorcas, a Christian martyr, known as Tabitha
- Tabitha Babbitt (1779–1853), American toolmaker and inventor, inventor of the circular saw
- Tabitha Brown (1780–1858), American pioneer in the Oregon Territory
- Tabitha Fringe Chase (born 1977), American activist
- 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)
- Tabitha Soren (born 1967), reporter for MTV News
- Tabitha St. Germain (born 1976), Canadian stage and voice actress
- Tabitha Suzuma (born 1975), British writer
- Tabitha Gilman Tenney (1762–1837), American author and novelist
- Tabitha Tsatsa (born 1972), Zimbabwean marathon runner
- Tabitha Wady (born 1976), British actress
- Tabitha Yim (born 1985), Korean-American gymnast and coach
Tabatha
- Tabatha Coffey (born 1967), Australian hairstylist, salon owner and television personality
Fictional characters
Comics
- Tabitha Smith, a Marvel superhero character
Literature
- Tabitha Twitchit, an anthropomorphic cat who features in the books of Beatrix Potter
- Tabitha "Tibby" Rollins, the main character in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Movies and television
- Tabitha Galavan, on the American TV series Gotham
- Tabitha Holswatz, more commonly known as "Tabby", a character on Monster Warriors
- 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 Wilson, on the American teen drama series 90210
- Tabitha, in the light novel and anime The Familiar of Zero
- Tabitha, in Scary Movie 3
- Tabitha, a fairy queen in Thumbelina (1994 film)
- Tabitha, a girl who owns Roddy the rat in Flushed Away
- Tabitha, the name of an evil fairy god mother who allies with the main villain of season four from DC's Legends of Tomorrow
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
- ^ "Dorcas". The Columbia Encyclopedia (6th ed.). Columbia University Press. May 2001. Archived from the original on 2007-02-21. Retrieved 2007-04-01.
- ^ http://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/babyname.cgi
- ^ Baby Planners[permanent dead link]
- ^ "View Name: Tabitha". behindthename.com. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
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