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Name Lineage

    The first name Elsa

    A girl’s name from German.

    Pronounced /ˈɛlsə/ 2 syllables Female

    Meaning and origin

    German origin

    From German Elsa, contraction of Elisabeth, occasionally used in English after its appearance in Wagner's opera Lohengrin (1847). The common noun is after the character of the Frozen series of films.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 54 girls were named Elsa, making it the 684th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2014, with 537 births (#104).

    0300600 1996200020052010201520202025
    3,684
    babies named Elsa, 1996–2025
    #684
    rank in 2025
    2014
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Elsa with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Elsa at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 216 girls born in the United States were named Elsa, the 1,104th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2014, when 1,140 were.

    01,0002,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    30,731
    babies named Elsa since 1880
    #1,104
    rank in 2025
    2014
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Famous people named Elsa

    36 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Elsa Lanchester
      British-American actress (1902–1986)
    • Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven
      German artist and poet (1874 –1927)
    • Elsa Zylberstein
      French actress, born 1968
    • Elsa Lunghini
      French actress and singer, born 1973
    • Elsa Cayat
      French psychoanalyst and columnist (1960-2015)
    • Elsa Jacquemot
      French tennis player, born 2003
    • Elsa Maxwell
      American gossip columnist, author, songwriter, and hostess (1883–1963)
    • Elsa Jean
      American pornographic actress (born 1996)
    • Elsa Wagner
      German actress (1881-1975)
    • Elsa Ehrich
      Female Nazi war criminal (1914–1948)
    • Elsa Rendschmidt
      German figure skater (1886-1969)
    • Duchess Elsa of Württemberg
      German duchess (1876-1936)

    More German girls’ names

    All 62 names of German origin

    Questions

    What does the name Elsa mean?
    From German Elsa, contraction of Elisabeth, occasionally used in English after its appearance in Wagner's opera Lohengrin (1847). The common noun is after the character of the Frozen series of films.
    What is the origin of the name Elsa?
    From German Elsa, contraction of Elisabeth, occasionally used in English after its appearance in Wagner's opera Lohengrin (1847). The common noun is after the character of the Frozen series of films.
    How popular is the name Elsa?
    In 2025, 54 girls born in England and Wales were named Elsa, ranking 684th. Its peak was 2014, with 537 births.
    Is Elsa a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 30,731 US babies named Elsa since 1880 were girls.
    When was Elsa most popular?
    2014 in the United States, when 1,140 babies were named Elsa, its highest rank at 286th.
    How do you pronounce Elsa?
    Elsa is /ˈɛlsə/, 2 syllables.