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At a Glance: Name: Elsa – Meaning: pledged to God / God is my oath (via Elisabeth) – Origin: German contraction of Elisabeth (ultimately Hebrew) – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: EL-sah
Elsa is a girl's name pronounced EL-sah, and it falls into a clean, modern style. It's a German contraction of Elisabeth, ultimately from Hebrew, carrying the meaning "pledged to God" or "God is my oath." You may see "noble, pledged to God" floating around as its meaning, but that added "noble" part isn't backed by the name's etymology — Elsa is simply that short form of Elisabeth, nothing more.
Meaning & Origin of Elsa
Meaning: Pledged to god / god is my oath (via elisabeth).
Origin: German contraction of Elisabeth (ultimately Hebrew).
A common claim: pledged to God (sometimes also glossed 'noble, pledged to God') Actually: The 'noble' part sometimes added to Elsa's meaning isn't supported by its etymology — Elsa is simply a German short form of Elisabeth ('God is my oath'), with no separate 'noble' element.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Elsa
Phonetic: EL-sah IPA: /ˈɛlsə/
Popularity of Elsa
According to Social Security data spanning 1880 to 2024, Elsa hit its highest popularity back in 1895 at #215, with 160 babies given the name that year. By 2024, it had settled at #938, with 280 babies named Elsa.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
Make Elsa Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Elsa, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Elsa mean?
Pledged to god / god is my oath (via elisabeth). (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Elsa)
How do you pronounce Elsa?
Elsa is pronounced EL-sah (IPA: /ˈɛlsə/).
Is Elsa a popular name right now?
Elsa peaked at #215 in 1895 and is ranked #938 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
📊 How popular is Elsa? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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