This post was originally published on August 25, 2008. It was substantially revised and re-posted on September 22, 2014.
Once she was a seldom-heard form of Elizabeth. Then along came Frozen.
Thanks to Natalie for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day: Elsa
Elsa: An Elizabeth-name in the Shadows
First things first: Elsa isn’t a completely unknown form of Elizabeth. The name has appeared in the US Top 1000 every year since 1880, though most years the name has charted at #500 or above. In 2013, Elsa ranked a modest #528.
Still, it wouldn’t be a surprise to hear more of this name. Ella soared up the US popularity charts, and the enduring Elizabeth is a steady favorite.
Elsa is a German and Scandinavian diminutive for Elizabeth and Elisabeth, one of many possible twists on this classic name. In our age of Mia and Ava, Elsa’s brief, complete style is on trend.
Elsa: A Glamorous and Wild Life
Credit Richard Wagner’s 1850 opera Lohengrin for increasing use of Elsa as a given name in the English-speaking world. It’s the name of Wagner’s unforgettable heroine. She was the first bride ever to marry to the famous Wedding Chorus, popularly known as Here Comes the Bride.
Elsa brings to mind a handful of other women – and one creature – all of which add to the name’s appeal:
- Ingrid Bergman played Ilsa in silver screen classic Casablanca. The sound is slightly different, but close enough to lend some Hollywood luster.
- Then there’s Elsa Lanchester, best known for her portrayal of the Bride of Frankenstein in the 1935 film.
- Fashion innovator Elsa Schiaparelli was a transforming force in 1920s and 30s fashion, a rival for Coco Chanel.
In the 1960s, Elsa was best known as the housebroken lion cub whose return to the wild is profiled in Born Free.
Names associated with popular animals sometimes feel less wearable, but this reference is fading – and will likely be completely unknown to children born in 2014. Plus, the lion was named after the game warden’s childhood friend.
Elsa: A Pan-European Appellation
The name is a Top Ten choice in Sweden, a Top 100 name in Spain and Iceland, too.
Elsa Benitez is a Mexican-born model, and Elsa Zylberstein is a French actress.
A daughter with this name could study abroad anywhere in Europe or the Spanish-speaking world, and do just fine in the US, too.
Looking for one more reason to love Elsa?
Orchid enthusiasts use it as an informal name for he orchid Elearethusa.
Elsa: Twenty-First Century Name
Blogger and writer Jane Roper is mom to twin daughters Clio and Elsa, and for a while she was my go-to reference to prove how well Elsa wore as a name.
Then along came Disney to sprinkle this name with a heap of pixie dust.
Elsa of Arendelle is the Snow Queen, loosely based on the Hans Christian Andersen tale. She belts out “Let it Go” and crafts a palace of ice in her perpetual winter kingdom. It all ends happily – not only was Frozen a record-smashing box office bonanza, but Elsa’s icy heart is melted by the love of her sister, Anna.
Elsa: A Name to Watch?
While many are predicting a meteoric rise for the name, it’s worth noting that the Disney Princess effect isn’t so straightforward. Plenty of parents are already declaring Elsa “ruined” as a real girl’s name thanks to Frozen.
The character is set to step from the Disney version of the fairytale to Once Upon a Time on ABC this fall, so even if you haven’t seen the animated featured, the Snow Queen’s new name is unavoidable.
Then again, this was a great, on-trend name on a modest rise before December 2013. Just like Aria, it’s a safe bet that we’ll see a healthy increase in the number of girls given this name.
With all of her history and charm, that’s not a bad thing at all.
Do you think Elsa is likely to climb into the US Top 100, or are parents hesitant to use the Snow Queen’s name? Would you ever consider Elsa?
Baby Name of the Day: Elspeth
Some think it is too nny, but I find it substantial enough to stand on its own.
There have been literally dozens of babies named Elsa in my local paper’s baby announcements… definitely the name of 2014.
My four-month-old daughter’s name is Elsa. People seem to recognise the name – not too obscure – and they can guess the spelling. So far it hasn’t been confused with Ella. We have had a couple of references to Elsie though. Anyway, we like it.
What a great choice, Rachel! I do like Elsa … and I think you’ve described it perfectly.
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?
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’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!
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.
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 is one of my very favs. Some think it is too nny, but I find it substantial enough to stand on its own.
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 🙂
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
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!!
Spaz, ignore that last post. I missed a sentence in your post!
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’? 🙂
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!
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!