Elise
Elise was the 223rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,367 babies. Its best year was 2012, when it ranked 152nd with 2,121 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 49 places. More babies were named Elise in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning my God is an oath (form of Elizabeth) · French, German, Hebrew
Say it ih-LEES /ɪˈlis/
- Rank in 2025
- #223 girls, down 11 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,367girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20122,121 babies
- Total since 1880
- 75,252babies recorded
What does the name Elise mean?
Elise is a French and German short form of Elisabeth, according to Wiktionary; it has long been used as an independent name. Elizabeth comes from Hebrew Elisheva, which DMNES glosses 'my God is an oath'. Beethoven's piano piece Für Elise, whose dedicatee is unknown, is a famous use, as Wikipedia notes. Elyse and Elisa are other spellings, and Wiktionary records several pronunciations, including ih-LEES and EE-lees.
Élise (French, “Elisabeth”)אֱלִישֶׁבַע (Biblical Hebrew, “Elisheva, my God is an oath”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Elyse, Elisa, Eliza, Elizabeth, Lisa, Elsie.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Elise', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Elizabeth', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wikipedia, 'Elise', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Elise popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 66 since 1917.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #223 | 1,367 |
| 2020 | #212 | 1,364 |
| 2010 | #196 | 1,588 |
| 2000 | #254 | 1,278 |
| 1990 | #265 | 1,071 |
| 1980 | #557 | 334 |
| 1970 | #557 | 331 |
| 1960 | #502 | 374 |
| 1950 | #614 | 187 |
| 1940 | #647 | 116 |
| 1930 | #585 | 137 |
| 1920 | #470 | 208 |
| 1910 | #519 | 62 |
| 1900 | #382 | 76 |
| 1890 | #450 | 33 |
| 1880 | #329 | 24 |
How popular is Elise, counting every spelling?
Elise is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #234 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #223 for Elise on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,459 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elise | 1,367 | #223 | 6,241 |
| Elize | 13 | #8,003 | 87 |
| Eliz | 15 | #7,228 | 84 |
| Elisse | 14 | #7,595 | 70 |
| Ellise | 10 | #9,636 | 55 |
| Ellyse | 12 | #8,511 | 51 |
| Elysse | 10 | #9,641 | 49 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Elise?
1,367 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Elise (0.38 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Elise born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 6 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Elise.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Elise?
About 66,800 people born in the US named Elise are alive today, with a median age of 22; half are between 12 and 37. That makes Elise mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Elise by state
How common Elise was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (2.4×), Maine (2.4×), Idaho (2.1×), Nebraska (2.1×), North Dakota (2.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Montana, Mississippi, Oklahoma.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Elise: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Elise, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Elise · Sibling names for Elise
Questions about the name Elise
What does Elise mean?
Elise means “my God is an oath (form of Elizabeth)” (French, German, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Elise?
Elise was the 223rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,367 babies. Its best year was 2012, when it ranked 152nd with 2,121 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 49 places. More babies were named Elise in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Elise a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Elise in the US.
Where is Elise most popular?
In 2021–2025, Elise was most common in District of Columbia (1.86 per 1,000 girls), followed by Maine and Idaho.