Elsie Girl

Popularity: #120 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: EL-see /ˈɛl.si/

Origin: English; Scottish

Meaning: God's promise; pledged to God

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Elsie is derived from the Hebrew name Elisheba, meaning "God is my oath." This name was adopted into Greek as Elisabet and subsequently into Latin as Elisabeth. The name made its way into Old French as Élisabeth, which later influenced the English form Elizabeth.

The diminutive Elsie emerged as a pet form of Elizabeth, particularly in Scotland, during the 19th century, where it gained popularity as an independent name. Historically, the name Elizabeth has significant biblical roots, being borne by the mother of John the Baptist, as mentioned in the New Testament.

The name was also popularized by several queens and notable figures throughout history, including Elizabeth I of England, who reigned from 1558 to 1603 and is often regarded as one of the most influential monarchs in English history. The name's enduring presence in literature and culture can be traced through various works, including the King James Bible, which helped solidify its usage in English-speaking countries.

Culturally, the name Elsie has been associated with qualities such as loyalty and faithfulness, reflecting its etymological roots. The name has also appeared in various literary and artistic contexts, contributing to its resonance in Western culture.

The use of Elsie as a diminutive form of Elizabeth highlights the affection and familiarity often associated with the name, further embedding it in the social fabric of English-speaking societies. Overall, Elsie's historical and cultural significance is deeply intertwined with its origins and the broader legacy of the name Elizabeth.

Famous people named Elsie

In this section, you will find notable people named Elsie. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Elsie who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Elsie who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Elsie Fisher is an actress best known for Eighth Grade, The Addams Family, and The Secret Life of Pets.

Elsie de Wolfe is an interior designer best known for her work in the early 20th century and her book The House in Good Taste.

Elsie Janis is an actress and singer best known for her performances in vaudeville and on Broadway during the early 1900s.

Elsie B. Smith is a notable educator best known for her contributions to early childhood education and her work with the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Fictional characters named Elsie

The following list of fictional characters named Elsie is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Elsie Dinsmore is a fictional character from the book series Elsie Dinsmore. She is a young girl known for her strong moral character and faith as she navigates the challenges of her upbringing.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Elsie, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

EllaEmilyEvelynEleanorEttaEsther

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Elsie. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

ElsaElenaEllaElyseElianaEttaEvelynElodie

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Elsie was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Elsie has ranked as high as #87 nationally, which occurred in 1918, and has been most popular in Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, Virginia, and Texas.

In the past 5 years the name Elsie has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Elsie is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Elsie was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Elsie.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 2,236 0 2,236
2024 1,910 0 1,910
2023 1,757 0 1,757
2022 1,563 0 1,563
2021 1,345 0 1,345
2020 1,270 0 1,270
2019 1,288 0 1,288
2018 1,192 0 1,192
2017 1,092 0 1,092
2016 981 0 981
2015 848 0 848
2014 1,005 0 1,005
2013 857 0 857
2012 788 0 788
2011 621 0 621
2010 462 0 462
2009 428 0 428
2008 405 0 405
2007 317 0 317
2006 308 0 308
2005 271 0 271
2004 211 0 211
2003 182 0 182
2002 176 0 176
2001 152 0 152
2000 147 0 147
1999 147 0 147
1998 151 0 151
1997 138 0 138
1996 128 0 128
1995 169 0 169
1994 149 0 149
1993 144 0 144
1992 152 0 152
1991 134 0 134
1990 144 0 144
1989 129 0 129
1988 131 0 131
1987 122 0 122
1986 116 0 116
1985 131 0 131
1984 108 0 108
1983 103 0 103
1982 100 0 100
1981 113 0 113
1980 121 0 121
1979 128 0 128
1978 97 0 97
1977 108 0 108
1976 113 0 113
1975 141 0 141
1974 144 0 144
1973 134 0 134
1972 130 0 130
1971 141 0 141
1970 159 0 159
1969 166 0 166
1968 166 0 166
1967 199 0 199
1966 228 0 228
1965 253 0 253
1964 248 0 248
1963 301 0 301
1962 309 0 309
1961 346 0 346
1960 348 0 348
1959 406 5 401
1958 416 0 416
1957 499 0 499
1956 477 0 477
1955 526 0 526
1954 549 0 549
1953 593 0 593
1952 580 5 575
1951 637 6 631
1950 689 0 689
1949 734 5 729
1948 903 0 903
1947 953 0 953
1946 1,050 9 1,041
1945 977 0 977
1944 1,104 9 1,095
1943 1,257 12 1,245
1942 1,409 10 1,399
1941 1,423 8 1,415
1940 1,475 9 1,466
1939 1,713 10 1,703
1938 1,792 17 1,775
1937 1,952 14 1,938
1936 1,886 12 1,874
1935 2,088 13 2,075
1934 2,289 19 2,270
1933 2,403 27 2,376
1932 2,569 15 2,554
1931 2,828 21 2,807
1930 2,993 20 2,973
1929 3,254 24 3,230
1928 3,487 17 3,470
1927 3,839 36 3,803
1926 3,930 20 3,910
1925 4,180 34 4,146
1924 4,519 20 4,499
1923 4,566 16 4,550
1922 4,633 15 4,618
1921 4,905 26 4,879
1920 5,015 22 4,993
1919 5,016 21 4,995
1918 5,221 27 5,194
1917 4,961 22 4,939
1916 5,050 23 5,027
1915 4,986 19 4,967
1914 3,710 27 3,683
1913 3,225 16 3,209
1912 2,906 11 2,895
1911 2,239 15 2,224
1910 2,157 16 2,141
1909 2,076 12 2,064
1908 1,990 7 1,983
1907 1,882 10 1,872
1906 1,782 11 1,771
1905 1,811 0 1,811
1904 1,731 12 1,719
1903 1,732 12 1,720
1902 1,734 14 1,720
1901 1,757 10 1,747
1900 2,060 15 2,045
1899 1,716 10 1,706
1898 1,924 5 1,919
1897 1,770 7 1,763
1896 1,884 6 1,878
1895 1,804 9 1,795
1894 1,725 9 1,716
1893 1,596 10 1,586
1892 1,498 9 1,489
1891 1,311 8 1,303
1890 1,228 8 1,220
1889 1,204 5 1,199
1888 1,119 7 1,112
1887 833 0 833
1886 704 6 698
1885 690 5 685
1884 549 0 549
1883 479 0 479
1882 448 0 448
1881 344 0 344
1880 307 6 301

Top States for Elsie (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 135
7%
MN 99
5%
OH 95
5%
TX 92
5%
PA 86
5%
NC 77
4%
IL 69
4%
TN 67
4%
MO 66
4%
UT 66
4%
WI 65
3%
WA 63
3%
MI 63
3%
IN 59
3%
FL 59
3%
VA 51
3%
IA 50
3%
KY 48
3%
GA 42
2%
NY 41
2%
OR 40
2%
KS 37
2%
ID 31
2%
CO 29
2%
MA 27
1%
SC 27
1%
OK 25
1%
AL 24
1%
NE 24
1%
MD 23
1%
MS 20
1%
NJ 19
1%
SD 19
1%
AZ 18
1%
AR 18
1%
ND 17
1%
NV 15
1%
NH 14
1%
MT 12
1%
ME 12
1%
CT 9
0%
WV 8
0%
LA 7
0%
AK 7
0%
NM 5
0%