Elizabeth (given name)

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Elizabeth
Lucas Cranach d. Ä. - Die Heilige Elizabeth mit Herzog Georg von Sachsen als Stifter.jpg
Saint Elizabeth shown with George of Saxony in a painting on an altar by Lucas Cranach the Elder
Pronunciation/ɪˈlɪzəbəθ/
GenderFemale
Origin
Word/nameEnglish
Meaning
  • "God is my abundance"
  • "God is my oath"
Region of originUnited Kingdom
Other names
Related namesBeth, Betsy, Eli, Bettina, Betty, Elisabeth, Élise, Eliza, Elsa, Elspeth, Isabel, Isabella, Isabelle, Lettie, Lisa, Lisbeth, Liza, Liz, Lizzie, Lizzy

Elizabeth is a feminine given name and one of many variants derived from a form of the Hebrew name Elisheva (אֱלִישֶׁבַע), meaning "My God is an oath" or "My God is abundance", as rendered in the Septuagint and popularised by Europe's embracement of the Bible.

Occurrence in the Bible[]

"Elizabeth" appears in the Old Testament as the name of Aaron's wife ("Elisheva" in the Hebrew Bible), 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]

In the early 21st century, 'Elizabeth' has been among the top 50 names given to girls in the past 10 years born in England and Wales, as well Canada and Australia, and has been in the top 100 most popular names given to baby girls born in Scotland and Ireland. '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. The name is also popular in Ukraine and Belarus.

Name variants[]

Full name[]

  • Ilisapesi (Tongan)
  • Irihāpeti (Māori)
  • ელისაბედ (Elisabed) ()
  • Aelswith, Aelswithia, Elesabeth, Elyzabeth (English)
  • Ⲉⲗⲉⲥⲁⲃⲏⲕ (Ilisabek) (Coptic)
  • Alžběta, Eliška (Czech)
  • Alžbeta (Slovak)
  • Ealasaid (Scottish Gaelic)
  • Ealisaid (Manx)
  • Elesbed (Breton)
  • Elizabete, Isabel, Elisabete (Portuguese)
  • Eliisabet, Eliise (Estonian)
  • Elikapeka (Hawaiian)
  • Elisa (Turkish)
  • Elisabet (Catalan), (Danish), (Finnish), (German), (Spanish), (Swedish)
  • Elísabet (Icelandic)
  • Elisabeta (Romanian)
  • Élisabeth (French)
  • Elisabeth (Catalan), (Danish), (Dutch), (German), (Norwegian), (Swedish)
  • Elizabeto (Esperanto)
  • Elisabetta (Italian)
  • Ελισάβετ (Elisávet), Ζαμπέτα (Zabéta) (Greek)
  • Eлисавета (Elisaveta) (Bulgarian)
  • Альжбета (Alžbieta) (Belarusian)
  • אֱלִישֶׁבַע (Elisheba, Elisheva) (Hebrew)
  • Elixabete (Basque)
  • Elizabeta (Albanian), (Croatian), (Bosnian), (Slovene)
  • Elizabete (Basque), (Latvian)
  • 엘리자베스 (Ellijabeseu) (Korean)
  • Elishua (Malayalam)
  • Elsbeth (Dutch), (German), (Scots), (Swiss German)
  • Elspeth (Scots)
  • Êlizabét (Vietnamese)
  • Елизабета, Јелисавета (Elizabeta, Jelisaveta), (Serbian), (Macedonian)
  • Елизaвета, Элизабет (Yelizaveta (or YYelyzaveta), Elizabet, (Russian)
  • Єлизавета, Елізабет (Yelizaveta (or Yelyzaveta), Elizabet (Ukrainian)
  • Elžbieta, Elzbute (Lithuanian)
  • Elżbieta (Polish)
  • エリザベス (Erizabesu) (Japanese)
  • Erzsébet (Hungarian)
  • Isabella (Italian), (Dutch)
  • Isabelle (French), (Dutch)
  • Isabel (Spanish), (Dutch)
  • Եղիսաբեթ (Yeghisabet), Ելսաբեթ (Elsabet) (Armenian)
  • Chinese: 伊丽莎白; pinyin: Yī lì shā bái (Chinese Simplified)
  • Chinese: 伊麗莎白; pinyin: Yīlìshābái (Chinese Traditional)
  • এলিজাবেথ (Ēlijābētha) (Bengali)
  • એલિઝાબેથ (Ēlijhābētha) (Gujarati)
  • एलिज़ाबेथ (Ēlizābētha) (Hindi)
  • ಎಲಿಜಬೆತ್ (Elijabet) (Kannada)
  • एलिझाबेथ (Ēlijhābētha) (Marathi)
  • Элизабет (Elizabyet) (Mongolian)
  • एलिजाबेथ (Ēlijābētha) (Nepali)
  • الیزابت (Persian)
  • ਇਲੀਸਬਤ (Ilīsabata) (Punjabi)
  • எலிசபெத் (Elicapet) (Tamil)
  • ఎలిజబెత్ (Elijabet) (Telugu)
  • เอลิซาเบธ (Elisābeṭh) (Thai)
  • الزبتھ (Urdu)
  • עליזאַבעטה (Eʻlyzabeta) (Yiddish)

Diminutives[]

  • Chabela, Isabelita, Ybel, Ysabel, Yzabel, Yzabela (Spanish)
  • Erzsi (Hungarian)
  • Isabeau (French)
  • Isabel (Catalan), (English), (Norwegian), (Portuguese), (Spanish)
  • Isabela (Spanish), (Portuguese)
  • Isabell (English), (German), (Norwegian)
  • Isabella (Dutch), (English), (Italian), (Norwegian), (Polish), (Spanish), (Swedish)
  • Isabelle (English), (French), (German)
  • Isave (Vietnamese)
  • Isbal, Ysbal (Manx)
  • Isbel, Isebella, Izabelle, Lisabeth, Lizabeth, Sabella, Sissy (English)
  • Iseabail (Scottish Gaelic)
  • Ishbel, Isobel (Scots)
  • Isibéal, Sibéal (Irish)
  • Izabel (Portuguese (archaic)), (Spanish), (Polish)
  • Izabela (Czech), (Polish)
  • Izabella (Hungarian), (Polish)
  • Lettie (Greek), (Latin)
  • Liesbeth, Lijsbeth (Dutch)
  • Lisabella (Italian)
  • Lisaveta (Ukrainian)
  • Lisbet (Danish), (Norwegian), (Swedish)
  • Lisbeth (German), (Norwegian), (Danish)
  • Lizbeth (Spanish, chiefly Latin American)
  • Sabela (Galician)
  • Špela (Slovene)
  • Zabel, Liza (Armenian)
  • Ιζαμπέλλα, Ισαβέλλα (Izabella, Isavella) (Greek)
  • Јелисавка, Савета, Савка (Jelisavka, Saveta, Savka) (Serbian)
  • Лизa (Liza) (Russian), (Serbian)
  • ლიზა, ლიზი, ლიზიკო (Liza, Lizi, Liziko) (Georgian)

First half[]

  • Ailsa (Danish)
  • Alzira, Elisete, Lilianna (Portuguese)
  • Ealee, Ealish (Manx)
  • Eilís, Éilis (Irish language)
  • Ela, Elunia, Elzira, Elżunia (Polish)
  • Elbie (Afrikaans)
  • Aley, Aleyamma, Aleykutty, Elise, Ella, Ellisif (Norwegian)
  • Elly (English), (Dutch)
  • Eli (Catalan), (English), (Spanish)
  • Eli, Eliamma (Malayalam)
  • Eliisa (Finnish)
  • Elis, Elschen (German)
  • Elisa (Finnish), (Italian), (Norwegian), (Spanish), (Portuguese)
  • Élise, Elysée, Liset, Lisette, Lizette, Lysa, (French)
  • Eliška (Czech) and (Slovak)
  • Elina, Elena (Bulgarian)
  • Eliso, Lizi (Georgian)
  • Elissa (English), (Norwegian)
  • Eliza (Albanian), (English), (Polish)
  • Elka (Albanian), (Polish)
  • Ellee, Elsie, Elyse, Leesa, Lizzy, Liz, Lysette (English)
  • Elli (Finnish), (German)
  • Ellie (Origin unknown)
  • Els, Liesje, Liselot, (Dutch)
  • Elsa (Catalan), (Dutch), (Finnish), (German), (Italian), (Norwegian), (Portuguese), (Spanish), (Swedish)
  • Else (Danish), (German), (Norwegian)
  • Elts, Liis, Liisbet, Liisu (Estonian)
  • Elza (Hebrew)
  • Elzė (Lithuanian)
  • Erzsi, Lilike, Zsóka (Hungarian)
  • Ilsa, Liesa, Lieschen, Liese, Liesel, Liesl, Lilli, Lys (German)
  • Ilse (Dutch), (German)
  • Isa (Spanish), (Portuguese)
  • Issa, Iza, Liseta, Yza (Spanish)
  • Izzie (English)
  • Izzy (English), (Norwegian)
  • Lela (Serbian)
  • Lies (Dutch), (German)
  • Lieselotte (German), (Swedish)
  • Liisa, Liisi, (Estonian), (Finnish)
  • Lila (mostly for kids) (Catalan), (Polish)
  • Lili (French), (Polish)
  • Liliana, Liliani (Indonesian)
  • Lis (Danish), (English), (Norwegian), (Swedish)
  • Lisa (Catalan), (Danish), (English), (German), (Italian), (Norwegian), (Swedish), (Portuguese), (Spanish), (Polish), (Welsh)
  • Lisanne (Dutch), (English), (Norwegian)
  • Lise (French), (Norwegian)
  • Liselotte (Danish), (German), (Norwegian)
  • Lisen (Swedish)
  • Liza (English), (Polish), (Russian), (Ukrainian)
  • Lizina (Latvian)
  • Lizzie (English), (Norwegian)

Middle[]

  • Babette (French)
  • Ibbie, Issy, Libby, Liddy (English)
  • Liba (archaic, rural areas) (Catalan)
  • Isa (German)

Second half[]

  • Beileag (Scottish Gaelic)
  • Bel (Catalan)
  • Belita (Spanish)
  • Bella (Italian)
  • Bess, Bessie, Beth, Betsy, Betsey, Bette, Bettie, Betty, Bettye (archaic), Bitsy, Buffy, Zabeth (English)
  • Běta, Bětka (Czech)
  • Bethan, Betsan, Bětuška (Welsh)
  • Betka (Slovak)
  • Betta (Italian)
  • Betti (German)
  • Bettina (German), (Italian)
  • Etti, Etty (Estonian)

People with this given name[]

Empresses regnant[]

Empresses consort[]

  • Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1691–1750), consort of Emperor Charles VI
  • Elizabeth Alexeievna (Louise of Baden) (1779–1826), wife of Tsar Alexander I of Russia
  • Empress Elisabeth of Austria (1837–1898), wife of Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I, also known as Empress Elisabeth or "Sisi"
  • Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (1900–2002), wife of the King-Emperor George VI of the United Kingdom
  • Empress Wanrong (1906–1946), last Empress of China, also known as Elizabeth, the English name her tutor gave her

Queens regnant[]

  • Elizabeth I (1533–1603), queen of England and Ireland
  • Elizabeth II (born 1926), queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Christopher and Nevis

Queens consort[]

Princesses[]

Other aristocrats[]

Saints[]

  • Elizabeth (1st century BC), the mother of John the Baptist
  • Elisabeth of Schönau (1129–1164), a German Benedictine visionary
  • Elizabeth of Hungary (1207–1231), the daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary
  • Elizabeth of Aragon or Elizabeth of Portugal (1271–1336), Queen consort of Portugal
  • Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774–1821), the first canonized "American" saint
  • Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine (1864–1918), Eastern Orthodox saint and wife of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia
  • Elizabeth of the Trinity (1880–1906), French Carmelite nun

Others[]

Fictional characters with this given name[]

See also[]

  • Ælfthryth, an unrelated Anglo-Saxon name, derived from the Old English Ælfþryð ('elf-strength'), superficially similar to 'Elspeth' and several other variants of 'Elizabeth'; more often rendered as 'Elfriede', 'Elfrida' or 'Alfreda'.

References[]

  1. ^ Frank Nuessel (1992). The Study of Names: A Guide to the Principles and Topics. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. p. 10.[dead link]
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