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Elizabeth (given name)

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For notable persons named Elizabeth, see Elizabeth.
Elizabeth
Pronunciation/[invalid input: 'ɨ']ˈlɪzəbəθ/
GenderFemale
Origin
Word/nameHebrew via Greek
Meaning"My God is an oath"
"'Pledged To G-d"
Region of originWorldwide
Other names
Related namesElisabeth, Isabel, Izabel, Ebbie, Isabella, Isabelle, Lyzbeth, Lisbeth, Eliza, Lisa, Liza, Liz, Lizzie, Els, Elsa, Elza, Elisa, Belle, Bella, Betta, Beth, Betty, Bettie, Bethany, Bess, Besse, Betsy, Lily, Lilibeth, Bessie, Elisla, Liesl, Libby, Lilla, Elspeth, Billie, Tizzy, Zabby, Libbie, Effy, Elly, Ellie, Elzbieta, Liddy.

Elizabeth is a feminine given name derived from the Greek Ελισάβετ (Elisabet, modern pronunciation Elisávet), which is a form of the Hebrew name Elisheva (Template:Hebrew), meaning "My God is an oath" or "My God is abundance".

Occurrence in the bible

"Elizabeth" appears in the Old Testament as the name of Aaron's wife ("Elisheva"), and in the New Testament as the name of the wife of the priest Zechariah and mother of John the Baptist. It has also been the name of several saints and queens.

Statistics

The name has many variants in use across the world and has been in consistent use worldwide. Elizabeth was the tenth most popular name given to baby girls in the United States in 2007 and has been among the 25 most popular names given to girls in the United States for the past 100 years. It is the only name that has remained in the top ten US girls' names list from 1925 to 1972.[1]

It has been among the top 50 names given to girls born in England and Wales as well as in Canada and in Australia in the past 10 years[when?] and has been in the top 100 most popular names given to baby girls born in Scotland and Ireland in the past 10 years. Elizaveta (Eлизaвeтa), a Russian form of the name, has been in the top 10 names given to baby girls born in Moscow, Russia in the past 10 years.[when?] The name is also popular in Ukraine and in Belarus. One of the most popular variants is Isabel or Isabella. In French there is the variant Isabelle.

Name variants

Full name

Clipped forms

First half

Middle

Second half

People with this given name

Fictional characters with this given name

  • Elizabeth Stonem, main character in UK teen drama Skins.

Nicknames for Elizabeth

Derived from Elizabeth are many short forms and nicknames used in English-speaking countries, including but not limited to[citation needed]:

Name variants listed above may also be used as nicknames.

See also

  • Ælfthryth (Alfrith, etc.), an unrelated Anglo-Saxon name, originally Ælfþryð ('elf-strength'), superficially similar to Elspeth and several other variants of Elizabeth; more often rendered as Elfriede, Elfrida or Alfreda.
  • Elsa (fictional character)

Notes

  1. ^ Frank Nuessel (1992). The Study of Names: A Guide to the Principles and Topics. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. p. 10. Retrieved 11 September 2013.  – via Questia (subscription required)
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