Eliza
Eliza was the 115th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 2,370 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 85th; the most babies were born in 2021 (2,484). Over the last ten years it has moved up 60 places. More babies were named Eliza in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning my God is an oath (short form of Elizabeth) · Hebrew, English
Say it ih-LY-zuh /ɪˈlaɪzə/
- Rank in 2025
- #115 girls, unchanged since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,370girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20212,484 babies
- Total since 1880
- 70,771babies recorded
What does the name Eliza mean?
Eliza is a short form of Elizabeth that Wikipedia says developed in the 16th century and became an independent name in the 18th. Elizabeth comes through Greek from Hebrew Elisheva, which DMNES glosses 'my God is an oath'. Wiktionary notes that Eliza was especially popular in the 19th century. Wikipedia mentions a popular gloss 'joyful', which does not come from the Hebrew name.
אֱלִישֶׁבַע (Biblical Hebrew, “Elisheva, my God is an oath”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Other explanations you may read: Means 'joyful'.
Related names: Elizabeth, Elisa, Liza, Lisa, Elsie.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Eliza', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Eliza (given name)', Wikipedia (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
Nicknames for Eliza
The usual nicknames for Eliza are Liza and Lizzie. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Eliza in the last five years, 5 were named Liza, against 14 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liza | Traditional | #1,648 | 621 |
| Lizzie · also for Elizabeth, Lizbeth | Traditional | #2,145 | 418 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Elizas go by each one.
Eliza popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 202 since 1880, 5 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #115 | 2,370 |
| 2020 | #115 | 2,349 |
| 2010 | #241 | 1,311 |
| 2000 | #379 | 759 |
| 1990 | #556 | 424 |
| 1980 | #658 | 275 |
| 1970 | #858 | 157 |
| 1960 | #1,076 | 100 |
| 1950 | #786 | 122 |
| 1940 | #573 | 148 |
| 1930 | #423 | 246 |
| 1920 | #327 | 392 |
| 1910 | #234 | 273 |
| 1900 | #166 | 335 |
| 1890 | #132 | 297 |
| 1880 | #85 | 252 |
How popular is Eliza, counting every spelling?
Eliza is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #132 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #115 for Eliza on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,480 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eliza | 2,370 | #115 | 11,878 |
| Elyza | 56 | #2,967 | 307 |
| Elizah | 41 | #3,663 | 216 |
| Elysa | 13 | #8,011 | 62 |
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 Eliza?
2,370 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Eliza (0.66 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Eliza 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 4 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Eliza.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Eliza?
About 53,100 people born in the US named Eliza are alive today, with a median age of 13; half are between 6 and 25. That makes Eliza 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.
Eliza by state
How common Eliza was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (3.0×), Montana (2.9×), New Hampshire (2.9×), Maine (2.4×), Kentucky (2.3×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Hawaii, New Jersey, California.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Eliza: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Eliza, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Eliza · Sibling names for Eliza
Eliza is also a nickname for Elizabeth.
Questions about the name Eliza
What does Eliza mean?
Eliza means “my God is an oath (short form of Elizabeth)” (Hebrew, English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Eliza?
Eliza was the 115th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 2,370 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 85th; the most babies were born in 2021 (2,484). Over the last ten years it has moved up 60 places. More babies were named Eliza in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Eliza a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Eliza in the US.
Where is Eliza most popular?
In 2021–2025, Eliza was most common in Vermont (4.33 per 1,000 girls), followed by Montana and New Hampshire.