Elsa

Did you know?

A few things about Elsa you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Elsa

Elsa Morante

Italian novelist (1912–1985)

Choose Elsa and your child shares a first name with Elsa Morante, an Italian novelist. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Elsa, like who?” Elsa Morante's Wikipedia article is available in 51 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Elsa Morante on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Unknown photographer, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 7,440 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Elsa, 216 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Elsa would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryElsa has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Elsas, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1895, when it ranked #215. Today it's #1,104, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🍂TrendElsa has slipped 189 places over the last five years and now sits at #1,104. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedElsa is most popular in Wisconsin, where it ranks #518, followed by Virginia (#573) and Arizona (#632). It's in the top 1,000 in 9 states.
• 💬MeaningElsa is a German form of Elizabeth, which means “God is my oath”. Our records link it to English, German and Old German roots.

About the name Elsa

Elsa is a girl name of English, German and Old German origin meaning “God is my oath”. It has 4 letters and 2 syllables, starting with E and ending in “-lsa”. US birth records list Elsa for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1895, when it ranked #215 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #1,104, with 216 babies.

Origin:English namesGerman namesOld German names