Elisa first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Elisa has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Elisa

Feminine form of the Spanish name ElĂ­as, meaning "the Lord is my God".

Popularity of Elisa by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Elisa is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 100% of people named Elisa being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 728 female babies and 6 male babies born with the name Elisa.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 6 baby boys were named Elisa in 2023, despite it being a predominantly female name. We'd love to know why!

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 6 728
2022 0 767
2021 0 749
2020 0 594
2019 0 710
2018 0 690
2017 0 616
2016 0 632
2015 0 656
2014 0 619
2013 0 657
2012 5 849
2011 0 543
2010 0 602
2009 0 472
2008 0 492
2007 0 554
2006 0 542
2005 0 541
2004 0 593
2003 0 552
2002 0 559
2001 0 557
2000 0 509
1999 0 497
1998 0 547
1997 0 562
1996 0 577
1995 0 546
1994 0 523
1993 0 555
1992 7 541
1991 0 620
1990 0 601
1989 6 640
1988 8 603
1987 12 624
1986 7 668
1985 0 678
1984 0 646
1983 6 677
1982 8 716
1981 11 775
1980 0 713
1979 5 728
1978 5 585
1977 0 556
1976 6 537
1975 0 495
1974 0 562

The history of the first name Elisa

The name Elisa has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is a variant of the biblical name Elizabeth, which means "God is my oath" or "consecrated to God." The name Elisa can be traced back to the Old Testament and is derived from the Hebrew name Elisheva.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Elisa can be found in the biblical Book of Kings, where it refers to the prophet Elisha, who was a disciple of the prophet Elijah. In Greek, the name is spelled as Elisaios, which later evolved into Elisa in various European languages.

During the Middle Ages, the name Elisa gained popularity across Europe, particularly in Italy and Spain. It was often associated with the Virgin Mary, as the Spanish variant Elisabet was a common name for her. In the 13th century, Saint Elisa of Cortona, an Italian penitent and mystic, helped to further popularize the name.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Elisa. One of the earliest was Elisa Mercoeur (c. 1210-1265), a French mystic and writer who founded a religious community in Paris. In the 16th century, Elisa Baciocchi (1777-1820), the sister of Napoleon Bonaparte, served as the Grand Duchess of Tuscany.

In the world of literature, Elisa is the name of a character in Alexander Pope's famous poem "The Rape of the Lock" (1712). The Italian composer Vincenzo Bellini also featured an Elisa in his opera "I Capuleti e i Montecchi" (1830), based on the story of Romeo and Juliet.

Other notable figures with the name Elisa include Elisa Bonaparte (1777-1820), the sister of Napoleon Bonaparte; Elisa de Fonseca (1590-1638), a Portuguese poet and nun; and Elisa Longo Borghini (1537-1613), an Italian painter and portrait artist.

While the name Elisa has its roots in ancient Hebrew and biblical traditions, it has since been adopted and adapted by various cultures throughout history, becoming a popular choice across Europe and beyond.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Elisa was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Elisa, please contact us.

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We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Elisa first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 14, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/elisa-meaning-and-history/.

"Elisa first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/elisa-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 14 November, 2024

Elisa first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/elisa-meaning-and-history/.

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