Lisa
Lisa was the 991st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 256 babies. Its best year was 1962, when it ranked 1st; the most babies were born in 1965 (60,271). Over the last ten years it has moved down 236 places. More babies were named Lisa in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning short form of Elisabeth · English, Hebrew
Say it LEE-suh /ˈlisə/
- Rank in 2025
- #991 girls, up 46 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 256girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 196560,271 babies
- Total since 1880
- 970,012babies recorded
What does the name Lisa mean?
Lisa is a short form of Elisabeth (Elizabeth) used in many European languages, as Wiktionary notes. Elizabeth comes from Hebrew Elisheva, usually explained as 'my God is an oath' or 'my God is abundance'. The name is also known through Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, whose sitter was Lisa Gherardini. Lisa was one of the most common American girls' names of the 1960s.
אֱלִישֶׁבַע (Elisheva) (Biblical Hebrew, “my God is an oath”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Elizabeth, Liza, Lise, Elisa, Liesl.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Lisa', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Elizabeth', DMNES (Durham University)
Lisa popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 2,783 since 1952.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #991 | 256 |
| 2020 | #1,037 | 243 |
| 2010 | #713 | 396 |
| 2000 | #295 | 1,088 |
| 1990 | #64 | 5,347 |
| 1980 | #16 | 15,664 |
| 1970 | #2 | 38,967 |
| 1960 | #6 | 33,693 |
| 1950 | #220 | 1,175 |
| 1940 | #737 | 89 |
| 1930 | #1,360 | 32 |
| 1920 | #2,220 | 17 |
| 1910 | #1,705 | 9 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Lisa, counting every spelling?
Lisa is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #880 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #991 for Lisa on its own. Together these spellings went to 291 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lisa | 256 | #991 | 1,375 |
| Lyza | 30 | #4,621 | 149 |
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 Lisa?
256 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Lisa (0.07 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Lisa 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 33 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Lisa.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Lisa?
About 869,600 people born in the US named Lisa are alive today, with a median age of 58; half are between 51 and 63. That makes Lisa a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Lisa by state
How common Lisa was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Indiana (2.4×), Kentucky (1.7×), California (1.6×), New York (1.5×). In 24 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 Lisa: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Lisa, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Lisa · Sibling names for Lisa
Lisa is also a nickname for Elisa.
Questions about the name Lisa
What does Lisa mean?
Lisa means “short form of Elisabeth” (English, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Lisa?
Lisa was the 991st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 256 babies. Its best year was 1962, when it ranked 1st; the most babies were born in 1965 (60,271). Over the last ten years it has moved down 236 places. More babies were named Lisa in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Lisa a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Lisa in the US.
Where is Lisa most popular?
In 2021–2025, Lisa was most common in Indiana (0.40 per 1,000 girls), followed by Kentucky and California.