Bethune, or Béthune, is a French and Scottish surname. It originates from the name of the town of Béthune in Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France. The name of the town was first recorded in the 8th century, in the Latin form Bitunia. The surname is first recorded in Scotland during the reign of King Alexander II (4 December 1214 to 8 July 1249) when charters of the abbeys of St Andrews and Arbroath name Robert de Betunia, probably a knight, Sir David de Betun, definitely a knight, and John de Betun, probably a cleric.