Name of the Day: Elsa
Just a few days after tackling Liesel, we offer up yet another appellation that started out as a diminutive of Elisabeth – the lovely Elsa.
Thanks to Natalie for suggesting this simple but appealing Name of the Day.
Elsa has long been in the US Top 1000 – she’s ranked every year since the listing began back in 1880. In 2007, she clocked in at #745. Back in 1892, she climbed as high as #216, but most years, she’s been far less commonly heard, lurking above #500 for most of the twentieth century.
While Ella rocketed into the Top 25 a few years ago, and the enduring Elizabeth holds on to the Top Ten, this is one variant that manages to sound distinctive without being wildly unusual. And while Elsa emerged as a Scandinavian and German short form for Elisabeth, we think she stands well on her own.
We find Elsa a touch glamorous, probably because of Ingrid Bergman’s portrayal of Ilsa in the cinematic classic Casablanca. While the names have slightly different sounds, it’s close enough to add a touch of luster. There’s also Elsa Lanchester, best known for her portrayal of the Bride of Frankenstein in the 1935 film. And let’s not forget fashion innovator Elsa Schiaparelli. Along with Coco Chanel, she was a transforming force in 1920s and 30s fashion. While Chanel built the more enduring business, some argue that Schiaperelli was the true genius of the era.
In the 1960s, Elsa was best known as the housebroken lion cub whose return to the wild is profiled in Born Free. While names associated with popular animals sometimes sink, it’s arguable that the reference is now reasonably obscure – and, as it happens, the real Elsa the Lion was named after the game warden’s childhood friend.
Perhaps our favorite thing about Elsa is her pan-European appeal. In Sweden, she’s currently ranked #10 and gaining. She also appears in the Top 100 in Spain (#79), is popular in Belgium (#134) and ranks in Norway and Scotland, too. You’ll find Elsas in Finland and Denmark, as you might expect, but the name has also been worn by a French actress and a Mexican supermodel. An Elsa would fare just fine on her study abroad semester, but her name wouldn’t cause any confusion in the US, either.
While we’ve yet to meet a baby Elsa, we do read about the adventures of one on her mom’s blog – Jane Roper’s Baby Squared on Babble.com. (Elsa’s twin – hence the “squared” – is Clio.)
Elsa picks up some drama from her use in Richard Wagner’s Lohengrin. His Elsa of Brabant was the first bride ever to marry to the famous Wedding Chorus, popularly known as Here Comes the Bride.
Turns out that there’s even has a botanical angle. Orchid buffs refer to Elearethusa – a type of orchid – as Elsa.
Elsa emerges as a great compromise for parents seeking something that will blend in but still stand out. Despite her origins as a diminutive, we think Elsa is all grown up and stands confidently on her own.
Filed under: Names for Girls, Names of the Day, Silver Screen | 14 Comments
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Before we had settled on Sybil for a girl, Elsa was high on hubby’s and my lists. We both liked this name a lot. Hubby’s only drawback was our Swedish last name. He didn’t want to sound too Swedish. It’s a pretty name, for sure!
I don’t really care for it, mainly because I knew an Elsa in my 4th grade class (back in 1996-97. Our class was 4th and 5th mixed and she was a 5th grader) and she wasn’t very nice to me. I don’t like the nicknames Ellie, Elle, Ella, or Elsie either, and I know several Elsa’s who use these nicknames. They just don’t sound like pretty names to me. Other than that, Elsa is ok. I wouldn’t use it for my kid, but I don’t hate it. It is classy and I like that it isn’t common, but not too over the top. I personally like Elise better, although I would only use it as a middle name.
I have a Swedish GF (she lived around the corner from me when we were little. A twin, she was Elsa, her sister, Karin. When they moved back to Sweden years later, she flipped her names and became Yvonne Elsa, because there was a children’s cartoon or show with a “little Elsa” and that aggravated her to no end at 14. We still talk several times a year and while I’ve grown accustomed to calling her Yvonne, I still think of her as Elsa (she knows this and thinks it’s rather funny).
I also had a Great Aunt (My Grandpop’s sister) who was an Elisabeth, nn Elsa/Elsie. Sweetest woman! She died when I was in the 6th grade and I still miss her blueberry scones. But yeah, Elsa’s sweet for me. Mostly thanks to assocation but on her own merits, I like her soft feel but inner core of steel. Elsa’s no pushover (and I love that!). I personally would prefer her as a nickname for the family Elisabeth or even maybe Grandma’s Lilian (which is a stretch, I grant you).
Warm, friendly and strong… Elsa’s an all-around winner for me!
Oh, and I thought Casablanca had an Ilsa, not Elsa? Yep, checked IMDb, ingrid Bergman played Ilsa Lund. (Sorry, one of my very favorite movies (the Mr. bought it for our third Valentine’s day together and we watched it while the kids slept). One of my favorite “us” memories. That, and the movie is chock full of good names:
Ilsa
Victor (and Laszlo!)
Carl
Yvonne!
Anina &
Sascha (on the proper sex, for me!)
What’s not to love about ‘Casablanca’?
Spaz, ignore that last post. I missed a sentence in your post!
I really like Elsa’s simple pan-European style – a much nicer option than the tired and overused Ellie/Ella. She would make a good sibling set with Clara too, although I imagine Elsa would be the more spirited and spunky of the two… The only thing that puts me off is her diminutive status (and only because my personal preference is for full-length names that are shortenable) however, your suggestion of Elsa as a potential nickname for Elisabeth has opened my eyes to a possibility I hadn’t previously considered – and I LOVE it!!
Could I by any chance suggest a few names for ‘Name of the day’ that I’ve had rolling around my head for a while and that I would like to hear more about??
Noa – a frend recently cited this as a favourite and has got me all intriguedher…
Alberta/Albertina – an old family name that would like to hear reaction to
Opps posted before I meant to!! Also, I haven’t checked whether any of these have been name of the day before…
Valentine – I just love this!
Jago- I keep reading this name on the ‘Telegraph brith annoucements and would love to learn a bit more about it!
Thanks
Elsa is one of my very favs. Some think it is too nny, but I find it substantial enough to stand on its own.
katherine, Valentine was NotD back on Valentine’s day.. if you search for Valentine, you’ll find it!
Jago’s the Cornish form of Jacob and related to James, so if youve a James or Jacob in the family, Jago’s a likely replacement! I think he’s kind of funky fun. Jazzy hip too. I can see a writer Jago, a musician Jago, an actor Jago but there are limitations to me. I can’t picture a happy CPA Jago or a Librarian Jago.
And I’ll second Alberta/Albertine/Albertina as a possible NotD! I have an honorary Aunt Alberta (who goes by Ginger, I always thought her name was Virginia!) who was another one of my Mother’s best friends from college. I count her two boys as “cousins (as they do my siblings & I), even though we aren’t really blood related! I keep toying with crystalline Albertine (pardon) ain the middle somewhere for her. I think Albertine is pretty awesome! And with the rush for place names, why not Alberta?
Elsa’s such a pretty name. Elisabeth is such an amazing name already, and there are just so many awesome names related to it! I actually know an Elsa; she’s a friend of my teenage daughter Calla. She’s Chinese. Her parents picked such a great name for her!
Lola, I appreciate your keen eye! I went back and forth on whether or not to include the reference, but I suspect many people hear Elsa and think of Casablanca. Me? I’ve seen the movie so many times that I can recite her dialogue. And I still had her name spelled wrong in my first draft – I was sure it was Ilse.
Katharine, thanks for the ideas!
Noa will be NotD on 9/20. I find her so tempting myself – I’ll be delighted to learn more about her. (And Japanese names in general. I went to grad school with tons of women – and a few men – from Japan, but didn’t pay enough attention to their naming style.)
Alberta is 9/22. We don’t have any -a or -inas in my family, but we do have a bunch of Alberts, so I’m curious myself.
And Jago! Now that’s a dazzlingly interesting choice. Since my husband veto’d Giacomo, I’m quite curious about all the James/Jacob variants out there – he’s 9/24!
Another, that’s always an interesting thing. I once dated a Sean Patrick VeryIrishLastName and always thought his parents went WAY overboard. But then it’s equally jarring to meet a Midori Sanchez. (Not that I have. But you get the idea.)
And Laney, ah, another name ruined by a negative association! Funny how that happens.
Elsa sounds lovely to me, and my middle name is Elizabeth so it would have a good link for me (I’m having a girl in 2 weeks!) but Ella is so top ten in Oz that I fear everyone would just call her Ella by assumption. Interestingly enough, our current favourite is Clio, so I’m off to read that baby squared blog! Clio Elsa Surname, anyone? How about Clio Beth Eliza just to turn my middle name on its head?