Given name & surname
Lisa
“my God is bountiful”·“God is my oath”·“resembling a rising salmon”
In German use, Lisa is a short form of Elisabeth. One interpretation is “God is my oath.” In English use, Lisa has a related form in Lise. One Native American interpretation is “resembling a rising salmon.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Lisa carries the interpretation “my God is bountiful.” In German use, Lisa is a short form of Elisabeth. One interpretation is “God is my oath.” In English use, Lisa has a related form in Lise. One Native American interpretation is “resembling a rising salmon.” In English use, Lisa is a short form of Elizabeth. “God is my oath” is the etymological interpretation given for Elisabeth, the same name in a different spelling. “My God is bountiful” is another recorded interpretation, but the two should be kept distinct rather than blended into one literal translation.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
In English use, Lisa is used as a variant of Liza. Lisa is used as a form of Elizabeth. In English use, Lisa is a short form of Elizabeth. The shared background comes through Elizabeth: English generally uses Elizabeth with a z, where many European languages retain Elisabeth with an s. Elisabeth is connected with Elisheba; its final element may have been reshaped through association with Hebrew shabbath, “sabbath.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1886. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Lisa is a short form of Elizabeth. The history of Elizabeth gives this family its wider story. The New Testament Elisabeth is the mother of John the Baptist. English royal associations include Elizabeth I and, in the twentieth century, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and her daughter Elizabeth II. Elizabeth’s familiar forms developed along several paths, including Eliza, Beth, Bess, Betty, Libby and Lizzie.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Lisa through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 970,012
- 2,783 boys · 967,229 girls
- Most popular year
- 1965
- 60,448 babies
- 2025
- 256
- #991 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −7%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 256 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 991 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 7.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 60,271 in 1965. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (43). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 864,260 as a first name in 2020; 1,461 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.
Lisa’s family of names
Lisa is a short form of Elizabeth. In Norwegian Bokmål usage, Lisa developed from the Latin form Elisabeth. In Slovenian usage, Lisa has a related form in Liza.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Lisa has relatives in 19 languages. Lines run from its English roots to each of them.
Nicknames & forms 42
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Elizabethfull form · English
- Elisabethfull form · English, German
- Lizavariant · Slovene, English
- Lisettevariant
- Lisbethvariant
- Lissettevariant
- Lisshort form · Danish
- Lissavariant
Show 34 moreShow fewer
- Elisabetfull form · Swedish, Norwegian Bokmål
- Leysavariant
- Elisabettafull form · Italian
- Lisevariant · Norwegian Bokmål, English
- Annaliesavariant · German
- Leasavariant
- Leisavariant
- Liisavariant
- Lesavariant
- Lysavariant
- Lyssavariant
- Lisbetvariant
- Lisabethvariant
- Liesavariant · English, German
- Leesavariant · English
- Liciavariant · Sicilian
- Felisafull form · ceb
- Leezavariant · English
- Lisondiminutive · nrf
- Liesdiminutive · Dutch
- Liesbetvariant
- Lisavetvariant
- Lisabettevariant
- Lisabetvariant
- Lisebethvariant
- Liszkavariant
- Lisetavariant
- Lisebetvariant
- Ludovicusvariant · Sicilian
- Luiggiavariant · Sicilian
- Luviciavariant · Sicilian
- Luvisavariant · Sicilian
- Lisabéfull form · nrf
- Élisabethfull form · French
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 49
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Isabellaequivalent
- Isabelleequivalent
- Isabelequivalent
- Elisaequivalent
- Louiseequivalent
- Izabellaequivalent
- Isaequivalent
- Bettyequivalent
Show 41 moreShow fewer
- Lizequivalent
- Betsyequivalent
- Izabelequivalent
- Ilseequivalent
- Izabelaequivalent
- Lieslequivalent
- Lieselequivalent
- Ilsaequivalent
- Elspethequivalent
- Betinaequivalent
- Bettinaequivalent
- Elizabetequivalent
- Laisaequivalent
- Elizabetaequivalent
- Lithaequivalent
- Ilzeequivalent
- Lisiaequivalent
- Lisettaequivalent
- Tineequivalent
- LieseGerman
- Ilzaequivalent
- Erzsébetequivalent
- Elžbietaequivalent
- Ealisaidequivalent
- Liesbethequivalent
- Elesbedequivalent
- Elżbietaequivalent
- Alžbětaequivalent
- Elizabetoequivalent
- Liisiequivalent
- Ísabellaequivalent
- ლიზაequivalent
- ლიზიequivalent
- ЕлизаветаRussian
- Eskeequivalent
- Ἐλισάβετroot · Ancient Greek
- Ли́заRussian
- 리사Korean
- リサJapanese
- ΛίζαGreek
- لِيزَاArabic
People named Lisa
- Lisa GerrardAustralian musician, singer and composerborn 1961
- Lisa KudrowAmerican actress (born 1963)
- LisaThai rapper, singer, model, dancer and actress (born 1997)
- Lisa Marie PresleyAmerican singer-songwriter (1968–2023)
- Lisa del Giocondosubject of the Mona Lisa1479–1542
- Lisa EdelsteinAmerican actress (born 1966)
- Olivia MunnAmerican actress, comedian, television personality and authorborn 1980
- Lisa MurkowskiUnited States Senator from Alaska since 2002born 1957
- Lisa BonetAmerican actressborn 1967
Characters named Lisa: Lisa Simpson (The Simpsons franchise), Lisa Cuddy (House), Golden Glider (Fictional character by DC Comics).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Lisa, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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