Elise

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Elise

Gender: Feminine
Language: English, French, German
Etymology:
Elise is a diminutive of the name Elisabeth, or Elizabeth. These names are forms of the Hebrew name, Elisheva, or Elisheba. Originally it meant “My God is Bountiful,” “God of Plenty,” “Consecrated to God,” “Oath of God,” “God is Satisfaction,” or “God is Perfection.”

History:
The name Elise (pronounced eh-lees-ah) probably arose in German lands sometime after the 16th century. In France the name became Élise, and was pronounced “eh-lees.”

Elise was a popular name in France in the early 20th century, and again in the late 20th century.

Elise was introduced to the United States by German immigrants in the mid-19th century (but also by French-speaking and Irish immigrants). By the 20th century, it had become a viable alternative to the popular name of Elizabeth, and is usually pronounced in the French fashion.

Lately, Elise has become fairly common.

Pronunciation: eh-lees (French, English), eh-lees-ah (German)

Alternates: Élise.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:
Für Elise (“For Elise”) (1808)
A famous piano solo written by Ludwig van Beethoven. Officially titled Bagatelle in A Minor.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.019 % named Elise

Popularity of Elise:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1850: 404th most popular.
1875: 414th most popular.
1880: 326th most popular.
1881: 346th most popular.
1882: 326th most popular.
1883: 354th most popular.
1884: 377th most popular.
1885: 413th most popular.
1886: 378th most popular.
1887: 378th most popular.
1888: 431st most popular.
1889: 371st most popular.
1890: 446th most popular.
1891: 377th most popular.
1892: 419th most popular.
1893: 379th most popular.
1894: 422nd most popular.
1895: 397th most popular.
1896: 424th most popular.
1897: 414th most popular.
1898: 396th most popular.
1899: 421st most popular.
1900: 381st most popular.
1901: 432nd most popular.
1902: 434th most popular.
1903: 436th most popular.
1904: 418th most popular.
1905: 458th most popular.
1906: 459th most popular.
1907: 434th most popular.
1908: 429th most popular.
1909: 473rd most popular.
1910: 518th most popular.
1911: 465th most popular.
1912: 387th most popular.
1913: 410th most popular.
1914: 433rd most popular.
1915: 451st most popular.
1916: 451st most popular.
1917: 442nd most popular.
1918: 462nd most popular.
1919: 419th most popular.
1920: 470th most popular.
1921: 467th most popular.
1922: 483rd most popular.
1923: 494th most popular.
1924: 500th most popular.
1925: 582nd most popular.
1926: 564th most popular.
1927: 567th most popular.
1928: 578th most popular.
1929: 529th most popular.
1930: 582nd most popular.
1931: 544th most popular.
1932: 581st most popular.
1933: 582nd most popular.
1934: 680th most popular.
1935: 546th most popular.
1936: 609th most popular.
1937: 620th most popular.
1938: 669th most popular.
1939: 621st most popular.
1940: 646th most popular.
1941: 640th most popular.
1942: 732nd most popular.
1943: 677th most popular.
1944: 629th most popular.
1945: 697th most popular.
1946: 701st most popular.
1947: 617th most popular.
1948: 650th most popular.
1949: 637th most popular.
1950: 612th most popular.
1951: 483rd most popular.
1952: 483rd most popular.
1953: 456th most popular.
1954: 436th most popular.
1955: 445th most popular.
1956: 469th most popular.
1957: 502nd most popular.
1958: 479th most popular.
1959: 467th most popular.
1960: 504th most popular.
1961: 481st most popular.
1962: 505th most popular.
1963: 503rd most popular.
1964: 471st most popular.
1965: 490th most popular.
1966: 491st most popular.
1967: 517th most popular.
1968: 521st most popular.
1969: 544th most popular.
1970: 558th most popular.
1971: 568th most popular.
1972: 612th most popular.
1973: 559th most popular.
1974: 677th most popular.
1975: 664th most popular.
1976: 636th most popular.
1977: 645th most popular.
1978: 602nd most popular.
1979: 604th most popular.
1980: 561st most popular.
1981: 511th most popular.
1982: 476th most popular.
1983: 394th most popular.
1984: 312th most popular.
1985: 269th most popular.
1986: 248th most popular.
1987: 235th most popular.
1988: 240th most popular.
1989: 253rd most popular.
1990: 270th most popular.
1991: 295th most popular.
1992: 306th most popular.
1993: 288th most popular.
1994: 344th most popular.
1995: 339th most popular.
1996: 310th most popular.
1997: 284th most popular.
1998: 296th most popular.
1999: 274th most popular.
2000: 258th most popular.
2001: 234th most popular.
2002: 241st most popular.
2003: 232nd most popular.
2004: 225th most popular.

In France...
1900: 35th most popular.
1910: 39th most popular.
1920: 44th most popular.
1930: 71st most popular.
1940: 108th most popular.
1950: 160th most popular.
1959: 197th most popular.
1960: N/A
1964: 199th most popular.
1970: 159th most popular.
1980: 60th most popular.
1990: 55th most popular.
2000: 43rd most popular.

Selected Sources:
A Dictionary of First Names, Hanks and Hodges, 1990

The Academy of St. Gabriel, (www.s-gabriel.org) - Has plenty of statistics and articles on medieval names and medieval practices.

Meilleurs Prenoms, (www.meilleursprenoms.com) - For French statistics. The website is in French, but “en vogue” means “popular.”

The Social Security Administration Actuarial Note 139 - For popularity stats 1880-Present
The 1880 U.S. Census- For popularity stats 1850-1880, and other information (it is available on-line at www.familysearch.org)