girl's name
Elise
ay-LEEZ
- Origin French
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (France)
- Births on record 219,059
the United States
#223
2025 births
Elise is a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning "God is my oath," a short form of Elizabeth. It ranks 117th in France and 223rd in the United States, and Beethoven wrote the most famous thing bearing its name.
- Elise is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 2001, when 1,910 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 1,325 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Elise over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 15,425 |
| 1910s | 11,895 |
| 1920s | 12,860 |
| 1930s | 7,175 |
| 1940s | 3,310 |
| 1950s | 2,385 |
| 1960s | 1,860 |
| 1970s | 5,405 |
| 1980s | 15,115 |
| 1990s | 15,630 |
| 2000s | 15,855 |
| 2010s | 13,790 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 5,775 |
What Elise means
Elise means God is my oath, inherited from Elizabeth. The Hebrew Elisheva joins El, God, with a root meaning oath or seven, the number that sealed an oath in Hebrew custom — so the two readings are the same idea.
Where Elise comes from
Elise is a German and French short form of Elisabeth, from the Hebrew Elisheva, borne in Exodus by Aaron's wife and in Luke's gospel by the mother of John the Baptist. The second element shava carries both oath and seven, and the connection is not coincidence: swearing by seven was the Hebrew form of making something binding. The name's fame rests on Beethoven's bagatelle in A minor, published as Für Elise in 1867 forty years after his death, from a manuscript now lost; who Elise was has never been settled, and the leading theory is that the copyist misread Therese, for Therese Malfatti, whom Beethoven wanted to marry. Elise is distinct from Élise with an accent, from Alice, and from Elisa, though French registers hold several of these separately.
Elise in use
Elise ranks 117th in France with about 840 births in 2025 and 223rd in the United States with 1,367 births, so it travels better than most French short forms. Our records mark it falling from a peak in 2001 and carry it from 1900. It appears in every market we hold, which is unusual — 190th in Scotland, 336th in England and Wales, 393rd in Northern Ireland, 409th in Ireland.
How popular is Elise?
In 2025, Elise was given to 445 babies in France, ranking #117 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Elise is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
How Elise is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Élise | Élise is Elise written with an acute accent, used in France, where it ranks #130. | 6,138 |
| Elisé | Elisé is a rare spelling of Elise, written with an acute accent and recorded about 20 times, mostly in France. | 20 |
Names that peaked alongside Elise
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Elise also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Elise over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Elise in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Elise
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Elise — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Elise
What does the name Elise mean?
Elise means "God is my oath," inherited from Elizabeth.
Who was the Elise in Für Elise?
It has never been settled. The leading theory is that a copyist misread Therese, for Therese Malfatti.
Is Elise short for Elizabeth?
Yes, by way of the German and French Elisabeth. It is now used as a full name.
How popular is Elise?
117th in France and 223rd in the United States.
Is Elise a girl's or a boy's name?
Elise is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Elise?
Elise has 2 syllables.
Is Elise a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Elise currently ranks #117 in France. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.