Elise
Meaning of Elise
Elise traces back to the French diminutive of Elizabeth, itself rooted in the Hebrew Elisheva—“God is my oath”—and has long enjoyed a low-key cosmopolitan streak, circulating through European capitals before settling comfortably into Anglo-American usage. Musically minded parents often think first of Beethoven’s bagatelle “Für Elise,” whose familiar opening notes have carried the name onto concert programs, ringtone menus, and beginner piano books alike; literary readers may recall its cameo roles in 19th-century French novels, where it lent heroines a certain understated poise. Statistically, Elise has hovered in the mid-hundreds of the U.S. popularity charts for more than a century, peaking in the mid-2010s yet avoiding the runaway ubiquity of names like Emma or Olivia—an appealing compromise for families who want recognizability without saturation. Phonetically streamlined at two syllables and free of silent letters, it travels well across passports and playground roll calls. In short, Elise offers a compact, cultured choice whose historical depth is matched by modern practicality.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as ee-LEES (/iːˈliːz/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Elise
| Elise Stefanik is an American politician representing the 21st congressional district of New York since 2015, chaired the House Republican Conference from 2021 to 2025, and at age 30 in 2014 became the first woman to hold her seat and the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. |
| Elise Bennett Smith - Elise Clay Bennett Smith led the Kentucky Equal Rights Association from 1915 to 1916 and served on the National American Woman Suffrage Association executive committee, later changing her surname from Bennett to Smith, Jefferson, and Gagliardini. |
| Elise Christie is a British former short track speed skater who specialized in the 1000m, won ten European golds including overall titles in 2015 and 2016, and in 2017 became the first British and European woman to sweep the world 1000m, 1500m, and overall titles. |
| Elise Estrada is a Filipino Canadian pop singer and songwriter known for hits Insatiable, One Last Time and Lipstick. |
| Elise Neal is an American actress who rose to fame with Rosewood, Money Talks, and Scream 2, starred on The Hughleys, and earned NAACP Image and SAG Award nominations for films including Hustle and Flow and Logan. |
| Elise Ottesen-Jensen - Elise Ottesen Jensen, known as Ottar, was a Norwegian and Swedish sex educator, journalist, and activist who championed womens bodily autonomy and feminism as a member of the Swedish anarcho syndicalist union. |
| Elise Kellond-Knight is a retired Australian footballer and left footed set piece specialist who played 115 games for Australia from 2007 to 2023 as a defensive midfielder or defender, retiring from international play in 2024. |
| Elise Kutscherra de Nyss was an opera singer and teacher. |
| Elise O'Dea - Elise ODea is a former AFLW player for Melbourne and Carlton who co captained Melbourne in 2019 and earned two All Australian selections. |
| Elise Cranny is an American middle and long distance runner, a two time Olympian in 2020 and 2024, a four time national champion, and the American indoor 5000 meters record holder. |
| Elise Chabbey is a Swiss road cyclist for FDJ Suez who won mixed team relay world titles in 2022 and 2023 and the Queen of the Mountains jersey at the 2025 Tour de France Femmes. |
| Elise Schaap is a Dutch actress. |
| Elise Johanna Vogel was a Latvian chess player with Baltic German roots. |
| Elise Riesel, also known as Eliza Genrichovna Rizel, was an Austrian linguist. |
| Elise Sørensen - Elise Sorensen was a Danish nurse who invented the colostomy bag. |
