Elisa Name Meaning

Elisa is a unique, sweet-sounding name with ancient biblical origins. Today, Elisa is very common for Italian and Spanish speakers, but less so in the English-speaking world. Elisa means "God is a promise." It is a diminutive of Elisabeth, a form of Elizabeth, which traces back to the Greek name Elisabet, and further back to Hebrew name Elisheva. Elisheva is derived from the roots "el," meaning "God" and "shava," meaning "promise."

How Popular is the Name Elisa?

Elisa has been a moderately popular name since 1900 according to the Social Security Administration. Elisa has been on the charts every year except 1902, when it briefly dropped off.

Although Elisa has seen varied popularity over time, it has never been a top 100 name in the U.S. Elisa hit its peak in the year 1981 at position 311. As of 2020, Elisa sat at position 511.

Historically, the variations Eliza and Elizabeth have been much more common than Elisa in the U.S.

Name Variations

Elisa's ancient biblical roots mean that it is used in many languages and cultures worldwide. Over the years, it has branched out linguistically into many quite different sounding versions. In fact, Elisa's root name, Elisheva, and its Germanic derivative, Elizabeth, developed into the names Isabelle, Lillian, and their diminutives.

The following are variations of the name Elisa:

• Elisabet (Swedish)
• Elisabeta (Romanian)
• Elisabete (Portuguese)
• Elisabeth (German)
• Elisabetta (Italian)
• Elisavet (Greek)
• Elisheva (Hebrew)
• Eliska (Czech)
• Elissa (English)
• Eliza (English)
• Elle (English)
• Elsa (English)
• Ilse (Dutch)
• Isa (Spanish)
• Isabella (Italian)
• Liesa (German)
• Liisa (Estonian)
• Liliana (Portuguese)
• Lisette (French)
• Liza (English)

Similar Names

Similar-sounding names to Elisa:

• Alessia
• Alesya
• Alice
• Alicia
• Alida
• Alisa
• Alyssa
• Elicia
• Elise
• Elisha

Other Italian girl names:

• Angelica
• Camilla
• Chiara
• Gabriella
• Ilaria

Other Spanish girl names:

• Luisa
• Mercedes
• Natalia
• Pilar
• Yolanda

Common Nicknames

Elisa is already short and sweet, but here are a few nicknames to choose from:

• E
• Eli
• Ellie
• Lisa
• Lili
• Isa
• Isabella

Suggested Sibling Names

Looking for a sibling name for Elisa? Here are some popular options:

• Ada
• Anthony
• Aurora
• Bella
• Benjamin
• Chloe
• David
• Francesco
• Jane
• Jayden
• Jose
• Kiara
• Lilian
• Olivia
• Jonathan
• Julia
• Maia
• Marco
• Paul
• Sofia

Famous People Named Elisa

Some notable people who share the name Elisa include:

• Élisa Bonaparte, Imperial French princess and sister of Napoleon Bonaparte
• Elisa Carrió, Argentine lawyer, professor and politician
• Elisa Cegani, Italian actress
• Elisa Christian Galvé, Argentine actress
• Elisa Cusma, Italian middle-distance runner who specializes in the 800 metres
• Elisa Di Fracisca, Italian foil fencer who was the Olympic champion in 2012, World champion in 2010, and three-time European champion
• Elisa Donovan, American actress
• Elisa Fiorillo, winner of the 1985 "Star Search" talent show
• Elisa Pensler Gabrielli, American actress and comedian known for her role of Pepper Potts in the animated movie, "The Invincible Iron Man"
• Elisa Godínez Gómez de Batista, First Lady of Cuba from 1940-1944
• Elisa Longo Borghini, Italian professional road cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam Trek–Segafredo
• Elisa Montés, Spanish actress
• Elisa Nájera Gualito, Mexican TV host, model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Nuestra Belleza México
• Elisa Mary Roberts, Australian politician who served with the Australian Defense Force at Victoria Barracks in Paddington from 1989 to 1993
• Elisa Rosales Ochoa, first woman elected to the Philippine Congress in 1941
• Elisa Toffoli, Italian singer-songwriter who writes and records mostly in English
• Elisa Tovati, French singer, actress and television personality
• Princess Elisa Radziwiłł, a member of Polish nobility (of the Radziwiłł family, who were elite magnates), of royal ancestry.