// Register widgets area(s)

if ( function_exists('register_sidebar') ){

    $sidebars = array(

        'Footer Widgets',

        'another widget area'

);

foreach($sidebars as $sidebar):

    register_sidebar(array(

        'name'=>$sidebar,

        'before_widget' => '<li id="%1$s" class="widget widget-%2$s">',

        'after_widget' => '</li>',

        'before_title' => '<h4 class="widgettitle">',

        'after_title' => '</h4>'

    ));

endforeach;

}



/**

 * Get a sidebar id by name.

 *

 * @param string $name Widget name.

 * @return string Widget id, if widget sidebar with that name was found. Empty if not found.

 */



function get_sidebar_id_by_name( $name='' ) {

    // no name specified !

    if ( '' == $name ) return '';

    

    global $wp_registered_sidebars;

    

    // no registered sidebar !

    if ( !isset( $wp_registered_sidebars ) ) return '';

    

    foreach ( $wp_registered_sidebars as $sidebar ):

        if ( $name == $sidebar['name'] ) return $sidebar['id'];

    endforeach;

    

    return '';

}

<div id="footer">

    <?php if ( function_exists( 'dynamic_sidebar' ) && function_exists( 'is_active_sidebar' ) && is_active_sidebar( get_sidebar_id_by_name( 'Footer Widgets' ) ) ) { ?>

    <ul id="footer-widgets">

        <?php dynamic_sidebar( 'Footer Widgets' ) ?>

    </ul><!-- /#footer-widgets -->

    <?php } ?>

</div><!-- /#footer -->