Given name & surname
Elisha
“God is my salvation”
Elisha is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “God is my salvation.”
Original Hebrewאלישע
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “God is my salvation.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Elisha appears in 1 Kings 19:16.
From biblical name research
Elisha through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 30,034
- 15,668 boys · 14,366 girls
- Most popular year
- 1980
- 736 babies
- 2025
- 381
- #789 for boys · #2,867 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −11%
- Easing
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 74% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 322 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 789 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 0.7% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 392 in 2008. It also appeared in 59 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (38). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 21,425 as a first name in 2020; 350 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Elisha’s family of names
Elisha has a short form in Eli. In English usage, Elisha has a related form in Alicia. Elisha has a related form in Elisa.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 21
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 14
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 7
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Elisha
- Elisha CuthbertCanadian actressborn 1982
- Elisha OtisFounder of Otis Elevator Co.1811–1861
- Elisha GrayAmerican electrical engineer1835–1901
- Elisha OwusuGhanaian and French association football playerborn 1997
- Elisha Cook Jr.American actor (1903-1995)
- Elisha Kent KaneAmerican explorer and military medical officer (1820–1857)
- Elisha ScottIrish footballer (1894–1959)1893–1959
- Elisha P. FerryAmerican politician (1825-1895)
- E. H. CalvertAmerican film actor and director (1863-1941)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Elisha, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Mica
“who is like (Yahweh)?”
54% boys · 46% girls
Tobi
“God is good” · “The Lord is good”
60% boys · 40% girls
Ari
“resembling a lion or an eagle”
62% boys · 38% girls
Yona
“dove” · “resembling a dove”
62% boys · 38% girls
Yael
“having the strength of God” · “strength of God”
65% boys · 35% girls
Jacky
“God is gracious” · “the supplanter”
73% boys · 27% girls
Toby
“The Lord is good” · “God is good”
72% boys · 28% girls
Elasah
“God has made”
50% boys · 50% girls