Given name & surname
Lise
“resembling a rising salmon”
Lise is used as a given name and a surname. One Native American interpretation is “resembling a rising salmon.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Native American interpretation is “resembling a rising salmon.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Native American.
How it developed
In Norwegian Bokmål usage, Lise developed from Elisabeth. In English usage, Lise is a diminutive of Lisa.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1922. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In French use, Lise 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
Lise through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,791
- 0 boys · 2,791 girls
- Most popular year
- 1959
- 157 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
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- Too few births to compare
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. Its largest published annual count for girls was 157 in 1959. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,940 as a first name in 2020; 138 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.
Lise’s family of names
Lise is a short form of Elizabeth. In Norwegian Bokmål usage, Lise developed from the Latin form Elisabeth. In German usage, Lise has a related form in Lisa.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Lise has relatives in 9 languages.
8 related names in 9 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 40
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Isabellaequivalent
- Isabelleequivalent
- Isabelequivalent
- Eliseequivalent
- Izabellaequivalent
- Elisabethroot · Latin
- Bettyequivalent
- Lizequivalent
Show 32 moreShow fewer
- Lizaequivalent
- Betsyequivalent
- Izabelequivalent
- Ilseequivalent
- Izabelaequivalent
- Lieslequivalent
- Lieselequivalent
- Ilsaequivalent
- Elspethequivalent
- Betinaequivalent
- Bettinaequivalent
- Elizabetequivalent
- Elisabettaequivalent
- Elizabetaequivalent
- Ilzeequivalent
- Liisaequivalent
- Lieseequivalent
- Tineequivalent
- Ilzaequivalent
- Elžbietaequivalent
- Erzsébetequivalent
- Ealisaidequivalent
- Liesbethequivalent
- Elesbedequivalent
- Elżbietaequivalent
- Alžbětaequivalent
- Elizabetoequivalent
- Liisiequivalent
- Ísabellaequivalent
- LízaCzech
- Eskeequivalent
- Ἐλισάβετroot · Ancient Greek
People named Lise
- Lise MeitnerAustrian-Swedish physicist1878–1968
- Lise RønneDanish television personalityborn 1978
- Lise NørgaardDanish writer and journalist (1917–2023)
- Lise HaavikDanish and Norwegian musicianborn 1962
- Lise LegrandOlympic wrestlerborn 1976
- Lise FjeldstadNorwegian actressborn 1939
- Lise KlavenessPresident of the Norwegian Football Federation and former Norwegian national team football playerborn 1981
- Lise Londonpolitician from France (1916–2012)
- Lise DavidsenNorwegian opera singerborn 1987
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Lise, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Bethie
“God is my oath” · “My God is bountiful”
>99% girls
Buffie
“my God is bountiful”
>99% girls
Shary
“princess”
>99% girls
Sarita
“princess”
>99% girls
Betsie
“God is my oath” · “My God is bountiful”
>99% girls
Sally
“princess; lady” · “princess”
>99% girls
Lies
“God is my oath” · “My God is bountiful”
21% boys · 79% girls
Lemyuel
“devoted to God” · “one who belongs to God”
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