Elizabeth: The Name That Has Everything

Updated Fri Sep 08 2023

Queen Elizabeth II, who died one year ago today, was a monarch for the ages. In honor of her extraordinary life and reign, here's a deeper look at her extraordinary name.

As a fledgling name nerd, I remember being fascinated by the name Elizabeth. It was so elaborate, so odd for a name that had been so widely used over so many centuries. John, sure, that was a name simple and straightforward enough for the masses to get behind. Anne and Mary, of course they had what it took to transcend the ups and downs of fashion. But Elizabeth, with its long E beginning and lisping ending, its bizarre z in the middle and its four freaking syllables? I don’t think so!

And yet the unlikely Elizabeth has endured. It’s the only girls’ name to have remained in the Top 25 (okay, 26) throughout entire recorded American baby-naming history, since 1880. Elizabeth hit its nadir in 1945, when it dipped to number 26, but it should be noted that its short form Betty was Number 11 that year, after having been in the Top 10 since 1921. Even when Elizabeth and her sisters were relatively unpopular, they were everywhere.

Elizabeth, which means “pledged to God,” springs from the ancient Hebrew custom of referencing God — or El — in a name’s prefix or suffix. The ancient Hebrew form of the name is Elisheva.

The New Testament Elizabeth was the mother of John the Baptist and the cousin of The Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus. She is a descendant of Aaron and wife of Zechariah. There is also an Old Testament personage, wife of Aaron, named Elischeba.

Early Forms of Elizabeth

Other notable early Elizabeths, according to Charlotte Yonge’s The History of Christian Names, include:

Elisavetta

A Russian princess who was the love of the Norwegian poet king Harald. She figures in many Scandinavian legends and ballads as Elsebin, Lisbet, and Helsa.

Elisabeth of Hainault

Transmuted to Isabelle upon her marriage to a French royal, starting a fashion for that name in several forms, from Isabel to Ysabel to Isabella.

Isobel and Isbel

These forms became popular in Scotland in these spellings after the fashion in France. The popular peasant nickname that definitely deserves consideration by modern parents naming a child Elizabeth is Tibbie.

Bess

Good Queen Bess was the first Elizabeth of England, and the short forms Bess and Bessee were popular for centuries, giving rise to Betty. The first Queen Elizabeth was also called Eliza, and that form became so popular in England at the beginning of the 19th century that some families had children named both Elizabeth and Eliza.

Elisabetta

The form borne by an Italian royal who was said to be the only one who married into the French royal family without having to change her name to Isabel.

Elizabeth's Many Variations

Elizabeth is a name that has variations in many languages and cultures, as well as variant forms commonly used in English-speaking countries. The most popular form of Elizabeth in the US today is not Elizabeth itself but Isabella, which was the Number 1 name for several years and still ranks in the Top 10. Proper forms of the name include:

Short Forms of Elizabeth

The name Elizabeth is almost as remarkable for its many and varied short forms as for its formal variations. Along with the usual diminutives, such as Liz, Beth, and Betty, there are many more creative short forms of the name.

The queen's charming childhood nickname, Lilibet, was used by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan, for their daughter. Other notable contemporary examples of women named Elizabeth but known by their creative diminutives include actress Busy Phillips and publishing visionary Zibby Owens.

Elizabeth's many short forms, including some that have fallen into disuse over the centuries, include:

See this list for even more international variations and short forms of Elizabeth.

About the Author

Pamela Redmond

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Pamela Redmond is the cocreator and CEO of Nameberry and Baby Name DNA. The coauthor of ten groundbreaking books on names, Redmond is an internationally-recognized baby name expert, quoted and published widely in such media outlets as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Today Show, CNN, and the BBC. She has written about baby names for The Daily Beast, The Huffington Post, and People.

Redmond is also a New York Times bestselling novelist whose books include Younger, the basis for the hit television show, and its sequel, Older. She has three new books in the works.

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