Ant McPartlin cannot believe this Welsh name actually exists

"Is it short for Bethan?"

That is the question that has followed me my entire life as a Beth - asked by many people I meet, leaving them - even friends of years - shocked that the answer is no.

But on the Hanging Out with Ant and Dec podcast, Ant McPartlin was left in disbelief after learning that the name Bethan actually existed.

In a clip shared to social media, McPartlin thought co-host Dec was "winding him up" when reading a message from a listener.

From being asked if they prefer Bethany to being corrected on legal documents - the comments section saw Bethans unite and share the reactions they'd received.

Bethan is a Welsh origin name that derives from Elizabeth, and means "God is my oath" or "pledged to God" in Hebrew.

While not as widely used as Bethany, it is most used in Wales and particularly popular among Welsh-language communities.

The name, which is often shortened to Beth, is also to blame for why I have to correct almost everyone who defaults to calling me the longer version.

In a clip taken from an episode of Hanging Out with Ant and Dec, Dec reads out a message sent in by listener Bethan.

"Bethany?" Ant corrected his co-presenter, who assured him it was just Bethan.

"Are people called Bethan?

"I'm just thinking, you haven't missed a 'y', have you?

"Name me a famous Bethan," he adds.

Before a producer steps in to do just that, he adds: "That's not a thing, you're winding me up."

One of those named was radio presenter and DJ Bethan Elfyn, who has "never had" that reaction to her name before.

She said: "After the Ant and Dec [podcast], I looked up the meaning of Bethan.

"One theory is that it derives from the Elizabethan era, and my mum's name is Elizabeth.

"[Another theory is] that you're making an oath to God to live a pure life but I'm not sure I've lived up to the name there."

Elfyn said she found the segment funny and was "chuffed" to be mentioned on the podcast in a line-up of Bethans, alongside author Bethan Gwanas and former member of the Senedd Bethan Jenkins.

"If you get named in something and it goes viral, everyone sends it to you and that's what's really hilarious", she said.

"I think it was the ragebait that made it viral."

She joked: "A man called Ant and he's making fun of someone else's name."

Ant was still not convinced of the name Bethan by the end of the piece, but Bethans of the world were quick to respond on social media.

Newport-born author Beth Reekles was named as one of Time's most influential teens in 2013 after writing the popular book series The Kissing Both, which was later turned into a Netflix trilogy staring Jacob Elordi.

She commented: "As a Bethan, I was once asked 'if I was sure I didn't mean Bethany' for a legal document.

"Uh, yeah, I was pretty certain I got my name right."

Geordie Shore's Bethan Kershaw also got involved, writing that the experience was the "story of our lives 'do you prefer Beth or Bethany…' probably just my name".

The thousand other comments also took the exchange in good humour, with one remarking that "all the best people are named Bethan".