Elsa
Elsa was the 1104th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 216 babies. Its best year was 1895, when it ranked 215th; the most babies were born in 2014 (1,140). Over the last ten years it has moved down 618 places. More babies were named Elsa in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning short form of Elisabeth · German, Scandinavian, Hebrew
Say it EL-suh /ˈɛlsə/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,104 girls, down 187 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 216girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20141,140 babies
- Total since 1880
- 30,731babies recorded
What does the name Elsa mean?
Elsa is a German and Scandinavian short form of Elisabeth (Elizabeth), from the Hebrew Elisheva, "my God is an oath". Wiktionary notes that it entered English use after Wagner's opera Lohengrin, whose heroine is Elsa. Wikipedia records it in Sweden from the 15th century. Disney's Frozen (2013) brought a new wave of Elsas; in the US the name was more common in the 2010s than ever before.
אֱלִישֶׁבַע (Biblical Hebrew, “Elisheva, "my God is an oath"”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Elizabeth, Elsie, Ilse, Elise, Else.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Elsa', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Elizabeth', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Elsa (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Elsa popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 21 since 1924.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,104 | 216 |
| 2020 | #917 | 284 |
| 2010 | #603 | 487 |
| 2000 | #911 | 240 |
| 1990 | #815 | 242 |
| 1980 | #699 | 244 |
| 1970 | #588 | 298 |
| 1960 | #594 | 279 |
| 1950 | #695 | 154 |
| 1940 | #640 | 122 |
| 1930 | #586 | 137 |
| 1920 | #516 | 184 |
| 1910 | #446 | 80 |
| 1900 | #335 | 102 |
| 1890 | #238 | 106 |
| 1880 | #369 | 20 |
How popular is Elsa, counting every spelling?
Elsa has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #1,055 for girls in 2025, against #1,104 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Elsa?
216 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Elsa (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Elsa 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 39 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Elsa.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Elsa?
About 22,300 people born in the US named Elsa are alive today, with a median age of 31; half are between 14 and 56. That makes Elsa mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Elsa by state
How common Elsa was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Wisconsin (1.7×), Washington (1.7×), California (1.6×). In 21 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Elsa: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Elsa, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Elsa · Sibling names for Elsa
Questions about the name Elsa
What does Elsa mean?
Elsa means “short form of Elisabeth” (German, Scandinavian, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Elsa?
Elsa was the 1104th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 216 babies. Its best year was 1895, when it ranked 215th; the most babies were born in 2014 (1,140). Over the last ten years it has moved down 618 places. More babies were named Elsa in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Elsa a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Elsa in the US.
Where is Elsa most popular?
In 2021–2025, Elsa was most common in Wisconsin (0.27 per 1,000 girls), followed by Washington and California.