Girl's name
Elsa
Say it EL-suh
Roots in German and Hebrew from Elisabeth, my God is an oath
2 syllables
Where Elsa is loved, common and rare
Loved in Sweden. Common across Spain and one more place. Rare in Catalonia, France, Norway and 15 more places.
1 in 2,236 girls born in Scotland in 2025
Sweden 5thCatalonia 103rdFrance 133rd
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 21 of the 40 official lists, among them Sweden (5th), Catalonia (103rd) and France (133rd).
Show all 21 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 5th 2025 | 524 | about 1 in 77 |
| Spain | 88th 2024 | 291 | rank only |
| Catalonia region | 103rd 2025 | 41 | 1 in 470 |
| France | 133rd 2025 | 390 | 1 in 735 |
| Norway | 134th 2025 | 41 | 1 in 532 |
| Austria | 249th 2025 | 24 | 1 in 1,488 |
| Italy | 293rd 2024 | 56 | 1 in 3,199 |
| Quebec province | 363rd 2025 | 14 | about 1 in 1,857 |
| Switzerland | 370th 2025 | 19 | 1 in 1,789 |
| Scotland | 387th 2025 | 8 | 1 in 2,236 |
| Berlin city | 428th 2023 | 7 | about 1 in 2,072 |
| Ireland | 608th 2025 | 5 | 1 in 4,225 |
| Cologne city | 630th 2023 | 1 | about 1 in 6,143 |
| England and Wales | 684th 2025 | 54 | 1 in 4,690 |
| Poland | 706th 2025 | 2 | 1 in 59,894 |
| The Netherlands | 801st 2025 | 13 | about 1 in 4,693 |
| Ontario province | 932nd 2024 | 12 | about 1 in 4,539 |
| Finland | 20th 2025 | 147 | rank only |
| Leipzig city | 156th 2025 | 3 | about 1 in 875 |
| Rostock city | 166th 2025 | 1 | about 1 in 985 |
| Bonn city | 382nd 2025 | 1 | about 1 in 3,015 |
Rare, below the listed names: Northern Ireland, British Columbia, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, New Zealand, Munich, Hungary, Slovenia and Israel.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Sources: Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadística) (Spain); Idescat (Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya) (Catalonia); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); Retraite Québec (Banque de prénoms, Données Québec) (Quebec); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji, rejestr PESEL (dane.gov.pl) (Poland); Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (the Netherlands); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) (Finland); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig); Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock (opendata-hro.de) (Rostock); Bundesstadt Bonn, Standesamt (opendata.bonn.de) (Bonn). How we count, and every source
About the name
Elsa began as a German contraction of Elisabeth, so it inherits that name's Hebrew meaning, 'my God is an oath'. It was occasionally used in English after it appeared in Wagner's opera Lohengrin.
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Two syllables, said EL-suh, with the stress on the first. It is short already, though Elsi is a pet form. Else, Elza and Elisa are relatives, and Elisabeth is the full name behind it.
Sweden is its stronghold, where it is a top-5 name, and it is popular in Finland and Spain too. In the English-speaking world it is less common, with modest use in Quebec, Scotland and Ireland. The French data show it peaking in 2015, and it is now declining in many regions, which makes it a well-established name past the height of its recent popularity.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- EL-suh, 2 syllables
- Meaning
- from Elisabeth,
my God is an oath
- Origin
- German and Hebrew
- Other spellings
- Elisabeth
- Elisa
- Elsi
- Else
- Elsina
- Elza
Etymology
From German Elsa, contraction of Elisabeth, occasionally used in English after its appearance in Wagner's opera Lohengrin (1847).
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 2 of 18 regions, falling in 12.
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Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 382 | 405 | 437 | 496 | 537 | 567 | 624 | 540 | 558 | 684 |
| Scotland | 585 | 501 | 583 | 493 | 636 | 541 | 387 | |||
| Ireland | 661 | 396 | 629 | 871 | 544 | 430 | 747 | 495 | 631 | 608 |
| Ontario | 264 | 467 | 469 | 488 | 499 | 540 | 738 | 691 | 932 | |
| British Columbia | 263 | 284 | 313 | 246 | 561 | 547 | ||||
| Quebec | 176 | 240 | 250 | 251 | 310 | 312 | 370 | 313 | 545 | 363 |
| France | 56 | 62 | 69 | 77 | 92 | 111 | 122 | 126 | 129 | 133 |
| The Netherlands | 342 | 586 | 765 | 690 | 518 | 562 | 1016 | 801 | ||
| Austria | 123 | 156 | 162 | 165 | 183 | 176 | 214 | 176 | 263 | 249 |
| Switzerland | 128 | 140 | 164 | 190 | 209 | 313 | 393 | 372 | 308 | 370 |
| Berlin | 97 | 124 | 140 | 233 | 168 | 361 | 191 | 428 | ||
| Munich | 130 | 91 | 104 | 208 | 217 | 152 | 200 | 226 | ||
| Cologne | 166 | 345 | 254 | 273 | 251 | 322 | 420 | 630 | ||
| Bonn | 314 | 134 | 226 | 221 | 132 | 419 | 181 | 236 | 382 | |
| Leipzig | 55 | 65 | 70 | 92 | 87 | 117 | 129 | 215 | 156 | |
| Rostock | 136 | 143 | 202 | 199 | 202 | 174 | 166 | |||
| Norway | 147 | 187 | 139 | 116 | 146 | 163 | 135 | 133 | 138 | 134 |
| Sweden | 2 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Finland | 27 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 20 | |||||
| Iceland | 122 | 208 | ||||||||
| Spain | 56 | 59 | 57 | 54 | 65 | 70 | 73 | 76 | 88 | |
| Catalonia | 39 | 46 | 45 | 48 | 51 | 61 | 66 | 69 | 112 | 103 |
| Italy | 210 | 251 | 262 | 256 | 296 | 291 | 293 | |||
| Poland | 463 | 491 | 449 | 570 | 612 | 714 | 706 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 684 | 54 | 21.3 |
| 2024 | 558 | 70 | 27.1 |
| 2023 | 540 | 72 | 28.1 |
| 2022 | 624 | 61 | 23.1 |
| 2021 | 567 | 69 | 25.2 |
| 2020 | 537 | 74 | 27.6 |
| 2019 | 496 | 83 | 29.6 |
| 2018 | 437 | 100 | 34.7 |
| 2017 | 405 | 108 | 36.1 |
| 2016 | 382 | 119 | 38.7 |
| 2015 | 262 | 190 | 61.7 |
| 2014 | 104 | 537 | 175.1 |
| 2013 | 183 | 286 | 92.7 |
| 2012 | 177 | 286 | 88.8 |
| 2011 | 182 | 280 | 87.1 |
| 2010 | 224 | 223 | 69.5 |
| 2009 | 283 | 168 | 53.6 |
| 2008 | 323 | 139 | 44.0 |
| 2007 | 382 | 110 | 35.9 |
| 2006 | 398 | 105 | 35.1 |
| 2005 | 427 | 87 | 30.2 |
| 2004 | 492 | 68 | 23.8 |
| 2003 | 462 | 73 | 26.2 |
| 2002 | 540 | 55 | 20.6 |
| 2001 | 496 | 59 | 22.0 |
| 2000 | 591 | 45 | 16.5 |
| 1999 | 548 | 51 | 18.1 |
| 1998 | 589 | 44 | 15.2 |
| 1997 | 736 | 32 | 10.9 |
| 1996 | 661 | 36 | 12.2 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
France since 1925
Half of the babies named Elsa in France since 1925 were born in or after 2002. First recorded in 1925. Her peak year there: 2015, at 410.6 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Elsa per 100,000 girls born in France, by five-year period. Her 2015 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (1900-2025), Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0.
Sister names for Elsa
1 in 3,018 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Elsa.
1 in 1,278 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Elsa. Same first letter as Elsa.
1 in 571 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Elsa.
1 in 1,760 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Elsa.
1 in 1,921 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Elsa.
1 in 1,408 in Ireland
1 in 1,064 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Elsa.
1 in 754 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Elsa.
1 in 4,966 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Elsa.
1 in 1,509 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Elsa.
Middle names for Elsa
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Elsa Grace
2-1 beats · initials EG
Changes the beat after Elsa: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Elsa Olivia
2-4 beats · initials EO · Elsa slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Elsa: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables. Elsa slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Elsa Sophia
2-3 beats · initials ES
Changes the beat after Elsa: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Elsa Maria
2-3 beats · initials EM
Changes the beat after Elsa: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Elsa Rose
2-1 beats · initials ER
Changes the beat after Elsa: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Elsa Julia
2-3 beats · initials EJ
Changes the beat after Elsa: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 1,286 in England and Wales
Elsa Miriam
2-3 beats · initials EM
Changes the beat after Elsa: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Elsa Emily
2-3 beats · initials EE · Elsa slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Elsa: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables. Elsa slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Same style as Elsa
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 1,921 in Ireland
94% alike: moves with Elsa across countries and decades.
1 in 424 in England and Wales
94% alike: moves with Elsa across countries and decades.
1 in 1,193 in Scotland
93% alike: moves with Elsa across countries and decades.
1 in 166 in Northern Ireland
93% alike: moves with Elsa across countries and decades.
1 in 1,415 in England and Wales
92% alike: moves with Elsa across countries and decades.
1 in 2,113 in Ireland
92% alike: moves with Elsa across countries and decades.
1 in 1,278 in Scotland
92% alike: moves with Elsa across countries and decades.
1 in 754 in Ireland
92% alike: moves with Elsa across countries and decades.
Famous people named Elsa
Elsa Morante, Elsa Lanchester, Elsa Pataky, Elsa Triolet, Elsa Martinelli, Elsa Schiaparelli, Elsa Hosk and Elsa Beskow.
Show all 8Show less
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Italian novelist (1912–1985)
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British-American actress (1902–1986)
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Spanish model and actress born 1976
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Russian-French writer (1896–1970)
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Italian fashion model and actress (1935-2017)
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Italian fashion designer and couturier (1890–1973)
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Swedish fashion model born 1988
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Swedish artist (1874-1953)
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Elsa
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
Show all 5 questionsShow less
How popular is Elsa?
Her best rank is No. 5 in Sweden in 2025, about 1 in 77 girls. She is in the published lists of 21 of our 40 regions.
What does Elsa mean?
Elsa takes her meaning from Elisabeth: "my God is an oath", per Wiktionary.
How do you pronounce Elsa?
EL-suh, with 2 syllables.
Is Elsa getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 2 of 18 regions, falling in 12.
Which sister names go with Elsa?
The deck's top five sisters for Elsa: Lea, Elise, Sara, Carla and Alicia. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.