Are there any boy names for Elizabeth?
The timeless name Elizabeth dates back to the New Testament. She’s the mother of John the Baptist, kinswoman to Mary. The Biblical name has Hebrew origins; it means “my God is an oath.”
It’s an enduring classic, worn by saints and royalty and women of accomplishment across the centuries. A form of Elizabeth appears in nearly every European language; even more, if the related Isobel, Isabel and Isabella are considered. It’s a popular name across generations.
Many of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s female descendants have Elizabeth incorporated into their names. But boys? Not a one.
Plenty of expectant parents would like to honor a beloved Elizabeth with their child’s name. And if it’s a baby girl, the options are endless, from nicknames like Betty, Betsy, and Beth to international variants like Elisabetta.
Think of a traditional male name and it probably has an equally familiar feminine equivalent:
- George and Georgia
- John and Jane (or Joanna or Joan or any of these choices)
- Joseph and Josephine
- Charles and Charlotte
- Christopher and Christina or Christine
- Andrew and Andrea
- Alexander and Alexandra
- Nicholas and Nicole
- Daniel and Danielle
- William and Willa, Willow, and Billie
Some of those girl names are far more popular than their masculine counterparts, while the opposite is true for others. But when we’re asked to come up with a feminine form of Luke, or a masculine equivalent to Julia, we know the answer.
But that’s not always the case. James is tricky for girls. And Elizabeth, in particular, is hard to make work for a son.
There are a few options that have potential. If you’re looking for boy names for Elizabeth, this is the list of names to consider.
EL- NAMES
Elizabeth’s El refers to God in Hebrew. Plenty of El- names could honor a loved one. According to the latest statistics from the US Social Security Administration, El- names are popular, for our sons and daughters alike. Many of the masculine favorites are also found in the Bible.
ELI (#80)
An Old Testament name, Eli boasts a slightly different origin. It’s Hebrew, but means ascension. While Eli isn’t a masculine form of Elizabeth, it shares the first three letters, which seems quite close.
ELIAM (#641)
It sounds like an Eli/Liam mash-up, but Eliam is a Hebrew name meaning “God’s people.”
ELIAN (#235)
Another El- name, likely related to Elijah, but also potentially to Elizabeth. It shares a sound and structure with favorites like Julian and Adrian, making it feel even more accessible.
ELIAS (#35)
Elias is simply the Greek form of Elijah, but slightly less common than the Top Ten favorite. If Elijah brings to mind Eliza, then Elias is closer to the elegant, restrained Elise.
ELIEL (#833)
Old Testament rarity with the right letters and sound.
ELIEZER (#987)
In different languages, Eliezer is simplified to Lazar or Lazaro. But Eliezer is a Biblical name, used for multiple characters, that comes quite close to Elizabeth in sound and meaning: “my God is help.”
ELIJAH (#5)
Another Old Testament name, Elijah means “my God is Yahweh.” It’s quite current today, a Top 20 favorite since 2010. It might be the closest name to Elizabeth in many ways – the length, the shared first syllable, even the meaning. It also sounds similar to Elizabeth short form Eliza.
ELIO (#646)
It looks like an Elijah/Elias cousin, but Elio is an Italian name related to the Green sun god, Helios. With a Pixar movie titled Elio on the way, this name is attracting more attention.
ELISEO (#691)
An Italian and Spanish form of Biblical name Elisha. That stylish O ending is helping this name rise. It looks a little closer to Elisabeth-with-an-S, a form of the name heard in many European languages.
ELISHA (#855)
The name of an Old Testament prophet, Elisha means “my God is salvation.” When Alicia – a form of Alice – became a 1980s favorite for girls, Elisha fell out of favor for boys. Now the trends have reversed.
A LAST NAME BEGINNING WITH EL
ELLIS (#273)
This surname name is fairly popular for boys, though not nearly as common as the first three names. In many cases, it started out as a surname derived from Elijah. It sounds like the first two syllables of Elizabeth, which makes it an obvious choice on the boy names for Elizabeth list. It fits with our love of boys’ names ending in S, too.
ELLIOT, ELLIOTT (#178; #167 for boys)
Surnames Elliot – and Elliott – are related to Elias. The surnames have plenty of history as given names, and almost feel like traditional firsts.
ELLISON (unranked)
Take Ellis and add ‘son’ and you’ll have yet another surname option. It’s more popular for girls than boys at the moment, though it’s pretty uncommon for all children. With names like twentieth century staple Allison and current favorite Emerson in use, Ellison fits right in.
NAMES WITH SHARED MEANINGS
Elizabeth means “my God is an oath.” Meanings like pledge, oath, and vow could come close enough to be boy names for Elizabeth.
GAGE (#732)
A modern possibility, it can mean to measure or to pledge.
GILBERT (unranked)
Gilbert comes from Germanic elements. The first, gisil, means pledge. The second, beraht, means bright.
HOMER (unranked)
A little bit classical poet, a little bit Simpsons, Homer means pledge in Greek.
NAMES THAT REFERENCE A FAMOUS ELIZABETH
This takes some truly creative thinking, but for the right family, it could be an option. Dozens of famous people have answered to Elizabeth.
BENNET, BENNETT (unranked; #74)
Inspired by Elizabeth Bennett of Pride and Prejudice, Bennett shares the nickname Ben with the even more popular Benjamin.
STANTON (unranked)
Elizabeth Cady Stanton puts this name on the list.
TAYLOR (#591)
As in Hollywood legend Liz Taylor.
MORE WAYS TO HONOR A LOVED ONE WITH YOUR CHILD’S NAME
There are plenty of creative ways to honor a loved one with your child’s name.
Maybe your beloved Elizabeth’s surname or middle name could be options. A nickname or something you associate strongly with her might provide inspiration, too.
But if sound and meaning are your priorities, many of the names on this list – while not exactly masculine variations of Elizabeth – feel like strong choices and great names to honor an Elizabeth.
Is there another male version of Elizabeth to you would consider?
First published March 21, 2024, this post was updated on April 16, 2025.
Beton. It’s a surname with multiple meanings, but could conceivably mean son of Elizabeth.
Also Arlen is a Gaelic name that means “oath, pledge.”
Eli Arlen
Elija Arlen
Elias Arlen
You could use the middle spot to make it even closer:
Ellis Abbot
Elias Abbot
Eli Abbot
or even Albert?
Bennett-If you or your mother is a Jane Austen or literature fan, I’d suggest Bennett. Elizabeth Bennett is the main character in Pride and Prejudice. 🙂 I know not everyone would see the connection right away, but I think it’s a great literary tie.
Abby’s suggestions of Eli/Elijah/Ellis are all great if you’re looking for something that sounds more like Elizabeth. 🙂
Congrats on your baby boy!!
I quite like the suggestions Elias and Eli. They strike me very plausible to honor an Elizabeth.
You could also use Eleazar! I think Lysander or Seth could work too pulling the -Liza- and -zabeth- sounds out of Elizabeth.
Elizabeth in the Old Testament was mother to John the Baptist. This might be a stretch, but you could use a form of John since this baby would be a descendent of an Elizabeth.
I love Elias for you, as it matches the sound of Elizabeth most closely in the masculine form. Ellis and Ellison are good too, but Ellis is all girl in my area (which admittedly has an abundance of ‘boy’ names on girl’s.)
Elliott is a perfect choice if you feel comfortable with the El-names being honour enough. if so, I’ll also suggest Elwood and Elroy (which I think fit in these days if you’re more daring) or even Elm. If you’re putting the honour in the middle name, Elm would be wonderful.
Good luck and sorry for your loss.
A few other thoughts: Eliseo is the male Italian/Spanish variant of Elisheba, which is the Hebrew root of Elizabeth. I think it’s dashing!
It shouldn’t be daring, but you could give him Elizabeth as a middle name. If Blake Lively uses James for her daughter and there are girls named Michael, why not?
You could use a partial anagram of Elizabeth to use something like Blaze or Albie if those names are more to your taste. Some people might not think anagrams are honorific enough, but anagrams are very cool and a fun name story for your son.
My great-great grandfather was Elias and he named his daughter (my great-grandmother) Elizabeth and she named her son (my grandfather) Elias. It certainly seems like they saw the connection between Elizabeth and Elias.
I would love to combine a few of these suggestions, Elias Bennet sounds very handsome. And looking at the name, it looks very close to Elizabeth. Very sorry for your loss.