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The short answer
Elise is a feminine name that Behind the Name defines as a "short form of Elizabeth", used in German, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Dutch and English. Through Elizabeth it goes back to the Hebrew name Elisheva, which Behind the Name glosses as "my God is an oath". In English Behind the Name gives two pronunciations, /ɪ.ˈlis/ (i-LEES) and /ˈiː.liːs/ (EE-lees); the German is /e.ˈliː.zə/. Élise is the French spelling. In the United States, Elise ranked #223 for girls in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name gives Elise as a "short form of Elizabeth", with usage in German, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Dutch and English. The Elizabeth entry supplies the meaning: Elizabeth comes "from Ἐλισάβετ (Elisabet), the Greek form of the Hebrew name אֱלִישֶׁבַע (ʾElishevaʿ) meaning 'my God is an oath', derived from the roots אֵל (ʾel) referring to the Hebrew God and שָׁבַע (shavaʿ) meaning 'oath'". Behind the Name lists Elise among a large family of short forms: in German alongside Elisa, Elsa, Else, Ilse, Liesl, Lisa and Lisbeth (with Tina as a diminutive); in the Scandinavian languages alongside Else, Lise, Lisbet and Elsa; in Dutch alongside Els, Elsje, Ilse and Lies. Pronunciations given are /e.ˈliː.zə/ (German), /eː.ˈli.zə/ (Dutch) and /ɪ.ˈlis/ or /ˈiː.liːs/ (English). Élise is listed as the same spelling with an accent (French).
Editorial confidence: established
Linguistic roots
| Language | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English/German/Scandinavian | Elise | short form of Elizabeth |
| Hebrew | ʾElishevaʿ | my God is an oath (from ʾel, the Hebrew God, and shavaʿ, "oath") |
Popularity
Elise ranked #223 for girls in the United States in 2025 (Social Security Administration). No other national rankings were checked in this pass.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #223 | ssa-2025 |
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: Tina
Variants: Élise, Elisa, Else, Elsa, Ilse, Lise, Liese, Liesl, Lisa
Related names: Elizabeth, Elisabeth, Elisabet, Isabel, Isabella, Eliza, Elsie, Lisette, Bettina
What the name feels like
Elise is sleek and understated: two syllables, no hard consonants and a Continental polish that reads French to most English ears even though it is equally German and Scandinavian. It offers a way to honour an Elizabeth without the full four syllables, and it pairs well with longer middle names.
Style tags: short form, Elizabeth family, two syllables, European, understated
Editorial interpretation: These style impressions are editorial opinion, not linguistic fact. Tina is the only diminutive Behind the Name lists (German). The variants list is a selection from Behind the Name's much longer list of Elizabeth short forms across German, Scandinavian and Dutch, chosen for their closeness to Elise.
If you like this name
Names that share Elise's Elizabeth lineage, its European polish or its sound.
Similar by meaning
Similar by sound
Similar by style
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Elise mean?
Elise is a short form of Elizabeth. Behind the Name glosses Elizabeth's Hebrew source, Elisheva, as "my God is an oath".
How do you pronounce Elise?
Behind the Name gives two English pronunciations, /ɪ.ˈlis/ (i-LEES) and /ˈiː.liːs/ (EE-lees). In German it is /e.ˈliː.zə/ and in Dutch /eː.ˈli.zə/.
Is Elise a popular name?
Elise ranked #223 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Elise — supports short-form relationship, usage, pronunciations, variants, diminutive.
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Elizabeth — supports meaning of Elizabeth, Hebrew roots.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
