Elizabeth (given name)

Elizabeth
Pronunciation /ɪˈlɪzəbəθ/
Gender Female
Origin
Word/name Hebrew via Greek
Meaning "My God is an oath"
Region of origin originally Europe now worldwide.
Other names
Related names Elisabeth, Isabel, Izabel, Isabella, Effy, Isabelle, Lyzbeth, Lisbeth, Eliza, Lisa, Liza, Liz, Lizzie, Lizzy

Elizabeth is a feminine given name derived from the Ancient Greek Ἐλισάβετ (Elisabet, Modern Greek pronunciation Elisávet), which is a form of the Hebrew name Elisheva (אֱלִישֶׁבַע‬), meaning "My God is an oath" or "My God is abundance", as rendered in the Septuagint.

Occurrence in the Bible

"Elizabeth" appears in the Old Testament as the name of Aaron's wife ("Elisheva" in the Hebrew Bible), and in the New Testament as the name of the wife of the priest Zechariah and mother of John the Baptist. It has also been the name of several saints and queens.

Statistics

The name has many variants in use across the world and has been in consistent use worldwide. Elizabeth was the tenth most popular name given to baby girls in the United States in 2007 and has been among the 25 most popular names given to girls in the United States for the past 100 years. It is the only name that has remained in the top ten US girls' names list from 1925 to 1972.[1]

It has been among the top 50 names given to girls born in England and Wales as well as in Canada and in Australia in the past 10 years and has been in the top 100 most popular names given to baby girls born in Scotland and Ireland in the past 10 years. Elizaveta (Eлизaвeтa), a Russian form of the name, has been in the top 10 names given to baby girls born in Moscow, Russia in the past 10 years. The name is also popular in Ukraine and in Belarus.

Contrary to the popular belief, the names Isabel or Isabella are not variants of Elizabeth but originate from another Biblical name, that is, Jezebel.

Name variants

Full name

Dimunitives

First half

Middle

Second half

People with this given name

Empresses

Queens regnant

  • Elizabeth I of England (1533–1603), queen of England and Ireland
  • Elizabeth II (born 1926), queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand

Queen consorts

Princesses

Other aristocrats

Saints

Others

Fictional characters with this given name

Nicknames

Derived from Elizabeth are many short forms and nicknames used in English-speaking countries, including but not limited to:

Name variants listed above may also be used as nicknames.

See also

  • Ælfthryth (Alfrith, etc.), an unrelated Anglo-Saxon name, originally Ælfþryð ('elf-strength'), superficially similar to Elspeth and several other variants of Elizabeth; more often rendered as Elfriede, Elfrida or Alfreda.

Notes

  1. ↑ Frank Nuessel (1992). The Study of Names: A Guide to the Principles and Topics. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. p. 10. Retrieved 11 September 2013.  – via Questia (subscription required)
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