Girl · #400 in 2026

Elisa

Elisa is a feminine and masculine given name. It is of Phoenician origin. According to legend, the first queen of Carthage was Elissa. Another opinion is that it is a shortened form of Elisabeth, a variant of the Biblical name Elizabeth or that it is a shortened version of Elisha or Eliseus.

  • Italian
  • Spanish
  • Portuguese
  • German
Current Rank
#400
Peak Rank
#311 (2012)
Total Babies
48K
5-Yr Trend
+11%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
2012
Peak Year
#311
Peak Rank
48K
Total Count
146
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Elisa

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Elisa is a feminine and masculine given name. It is of Phoenician origin. According to legend, the first queen of Carthage was Elissa. Another opinion is that it is a shortened form of Elisabeth, a variant of the Biblical name Elizabeth or that it is a shortened version of Elisha or Eliseus.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Italian
  • Spanish
  • Portuguese
  • German
  • Finnish
  • English
  • Icelandic

The Story of Elisa

Elisa first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2012: 849 births, good for #368 nationwide. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #400 among baby girl names with 760 births, gradually rising (+11%). In total, more than 48K Elisas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Elisa

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Elisa. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Notable people named Elisa

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Elisa (Italian singer) (Elisa Toffoli, born 1977), Italian singer and songwriter
  • Elisa (Japanese singer) (born 1989), Japanese singer and model
  • Elisa Aaltola (born 1978), Finnish philosopher
  • Elisa Albert (born 1978), American author
  • Elisa Badenes , Spanish ballet dancer
  • Elisa Baldo (born 1986), Italian archer
  • Elisa Balsamo (born 1998), Italian cyclist
  • Elisa Berroeta , Chilean wood engraver, illustrator

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Elisa

Phonetically similar names — useful when Elisa is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Elisa

What does the name Elisa mean?
Elisa is a feminine and masculine given name. It is of Phoenician origin. According to legend, the first queen of Carthage was Elissa. Another opinion is that it is a shortened form of Elisabeth, a variant of the Biblical name Elizabeth or that it is a shortened version of Elisha or Eliseus.
What is the origin of the name Elisa?
Elisa has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Finnish, English, Icelandic.
How popular is Elisa in 2026?
In 2026, Elisa ranks #400 among girls' names in the U.S., with 760 babies given the name that year.
When was Elisa most popular?
Elisa reached its peak popularity in 2012, ranking #311 that year with 849 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Elisa most popular?
Elisa has historically been most popular in Arizona, New Mexico, Montana. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Elisa.
Is Elisa a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Elisa is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Elisa?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Elisa include Rae, Merle, Tisha. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Elisa?
Common variants and related forms of Elisa include Bettina, Eli, Eliisa, Elisabet, Elisabete, Elisabeth. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

Similar Names

👧
Rae
Peak #311
👧
Merle
Peak #311
👧
Tisha
Peak #311
👧
Simone
Peak #311
👧
Gracelynn
Peak #311
👧
Rihanna
Peak #311
👧
Tessie
Peak #310
👧
Glenna
Peak #310

About the name Elisa

Elisa is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 48K births in the dataset. Elisa's peak popularity came in 2012 when it ranked #311. Use the chart and map above to compare Elisa's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.