Lisa Girl

Popularity: #689 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: LEE-sah /ˈliːsə/

Origin: Hebrew; Latin; English

Meaning: Hebrew: God's promise; Latin: devoted to God

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Lisa is derived from the Hebrew name Elisheba, which means "God is my oath." This name was adapted into Greek as Elisabet and subsequently into Latin as Elisabeth. The name underwent further transformation in various languages, eventually leading to the diminutive form Lisa, which emerged in the 19th century as a standalone name in English-speaking countries.

The evolution of Lisa reflects a common linguistic practice of shortening longer names, making them more accessible and familiar in everyday use. Historically, the name Elisabeth has significant biblical roots, as it appears in the New Testament as the mother of John the Baptist.

This association with a prominent biblical figure has contributed to the name's enduring presence in Christian cultures. The name Elisabeth was popularized in Europe during the Middle Ages, particularly through the veneration of several saints named Elisabeth, including Saint Elisabeth of Hungary, who lived in the 13th century and is celebrated for her charitable works.

Culturally, the name Lisa has been associated with various artistic and literary figures, further embedding it in the cultural consciousness. For instance, Lisa is famously linked to Leonardo da Vinci's painting, the Mona Lisa, which has become an iconic representation of beauty and mystery in Western art.

The name also carries connotations of grace and simplicity, which have contributed to its lasting appeal across generations. While Lisa is often seen as a diminutive of Elisabeth, it has developed its own identity and significance, resonating with themes of devotion and femininity throughout its history.

Famous people named Lisa

In this section, you will find notable people named Lisa. 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 Lisa who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Lisa 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.

Lisa Kudrow is an actress best known for Friends, The Comeback, and Romy and Michele's High School Reunion.

Lisa Marie Presley is a singer-songwriter best known for her albums To Whom It May Concern, Now What, and Storm & Grace.

Lisa Bonet is an actress best known for The Cosby Show, A Different World, and High Fidelity.

Lisa Ling is a journalist best known for The View, Our America with Lisa Ling, and This Is Life with Lisa Ling.

Lisa Vanderpump is a television personality best known for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Vanderpump Rules, and her work in animal rights activism.

Lisa Rinna is an actress best known for Days of Our Lives, Melrose Place, and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Lisa Jackson is an author best known for her works in the genre of suspense and thriller, including the New Orleans series.

Fictional characters named Lisa

The following list of fictional characters named Lisa 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.

Lisa Simpson is a fictional character from the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the intelligent and politically aware daughter of Homer and Marge Simpson, often serving as the voice of reason in her family.

Sibling suggestions

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

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Lisa. 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.

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Lisa was first seen in the United States in 1886.

Lisa has ranked as high as #6 nationally, which occurred in 1965, and has been most popular in California, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Lisa has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Lisa 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 Lisa was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Top States for Lisa (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. In some cases, you may see four or five states listed. However, we only display states where the name represents a significant percentage of births, so the number of states shown can range from one to several.

State Births Share
CA 34
17%
TX 26
13%
FL 20
10%
NY 19
10%
PA 14
7%
IN 13
7%
NC 12
6%
OH 8
4%
KY 6
3%
SC 6
3%
MN 6
3%
VA 6
3%
NJ 6
3%
GA 6
3%
IL 5
3%

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 Lisa.

YearBirths
2024262
2023315
2022290
2021248
2020243
2019276
2018308
2017309
2016345
2015374
2014378
2013354
2012398
2011396
2010396
2009420
2008509
2007525
2006609
2005619
2004710
2003811
2002830
2001908
20001,088
19991,113
19981,364
19971,546
19961,864
19952,236
19942,564
19933,223
19923,781
19914,395
19905,347
19896,574
19887,267
19877,549
19867,906
19859,015
198410,237
198311,471
198212,637
198114,295
198015,666
197917,285
197817,034
197717,013
197617,348
197518,139
197419,777
197322,673
197227,543
197132,910
197038,965
196945,028
196849,533
196752,436
196656,918
196560,269
196454,271
196356,040
196246,074
196142,719
196033,695
195925,702
195820,200
195715,140
195611,012
19558,539
19545,913
19533,602
19522,842
19511,698
19501,175
1949596
1948468
1947423
1946327
1945250
1944193
1943162
1942124
194192
194089
193977
193879
193753
193647
193531
193432
193321
193240
193128
193032
192922
192812
192714
192631
192513
192423
192315
192215
192117
192017
191914
191814
191713
191611
191514
191412
191316
19127
19119
19109
19077
19055
19049
18997
18965
18866