Given name · also Gaelic, Old Norse

Ailsa

“from the island of elves”·“consecrated to God”

Ailsa is used as a given name. Interpretations include “from the island of elves” and “consecrated to God”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.

Meaning & origin

What it means

Interpretations include “from the island of elves” and “consecrated to God”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.

Where it comes from

This spelling has been associated with Scottish and Old Norse naming traditions.

The story

Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1918. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.

From dated birth records

Ailsa through the years

Babies since 1880
538
0 boys · 538 girls
Most popular year
2003
19 babies
2025
0
Outside the ranked list
2021–25 vs 2016–20
−57%
Cooling
051015192019401960198020002025Highest share 20100.0
Ailsa in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1918–2025, per million girls born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

By the numbers

The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 5 in 2024. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 593 as a first name in 2020.

From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.

Ailsa’s family of names

Ailsa has a related form in Ailsah. Ailsa has a related form in Ailse. Ailsa has a related form in Ailsia.

Walk Ailsa’s family in the name graph

AilsaAylsaAilsieAilseAilssaAilsiaAilsah

Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.

Hover or tab through the constellation to see how each name is related. Bigger dots are names more people in the U.S. share.

Nicknames & forms 5

Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.

Spellings & scripts 1

The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.

See also 2

Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.

People named Ailsa

Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.

Appears in

Similar names

If you love Ailsa, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

Hebrew · Biblical

Anah

“answer” · “task”

0Not recently recordedCooling

>99% girls

Hebrew · Modern

Eleasah

“God has made”

0Not recently recorded

>99% girls

Hebrew · Modern

Tirsa

“pleasant”

0Not recently recorded

>99% girls

Hebrew · Modern

Ieva

“bird cherry”

0Not recently recorded

>99% girls

Hebrew · Modern

Aridai

“freely” · “my freedom”

0Not recently recorded

>99% girls

Hebrew · Modern

Achan

“but perhaps serpent”

0Not recently recorded

>99% girls

Hebrew · Modern

Ioana

Ioana is a feminine given name from Hebrew. It is used in Romanian.

11Very rare

>99% girls

Hebrew · Modern

Abihail

“the father is might” · “father of strength”

0Not recently recorded

>99% girls

Sibling ideas

Names that share Ailsa’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.