Given name & surname
Liza
“my God is bountiful”·“God is my oath”·“My God is bountiful”
In English use, Liza 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.
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Liza carries the interpretation “my God is bountiful.” In English use, Liza 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, Liza is used as a shortened form of ELiza. Liza is used as a form of Elizabeth. In English use, Liza 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 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Liza 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
Liza through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 17,655
- 14 boys · 17,641 girls
- Most popular year
- 1973
- 518 babies
- 2025
- 126
- #1,648 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +2%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 126 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,648 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 2.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 518 in 1973. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (10). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 18,271 as a first name in 2020; 290 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.
Liza’s family of names
In English usage, Liza is a diminutive of Elizabeth. In English usage, Liza has a later derivative in Lisa. Liza has a related form in Lizbeth.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Liza has relatives in 7 languages. Lines run from its English roots to each of them.
Nicknames & forms 28
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 4
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 57
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Isabellaequivalent
- Isabelleequivalent
- Isabelequivalent
- Izabellaequivalent
- Elisabethequivalent
- Bettyequivalent
- Tinaequivalent
- Betsyequivalent
Show 49 moreShow fewer
- Elliequivalent
- Izabelequivalent
- Izabelaequivalent
- Ilseequivalent
- Lieslequivalent
- Lieselequivalent
- Ilsaequivalent
- Elsiequivalent
- Zetaequivalent
- Elspethequivalent
- Betinaequivalent
- Bettinaequivalent
- Elizabetequivalent
- Zettaequivalent
- Elisabettaequivalent
- Vetaequivalent
- Liisaequivalent
- Lieseequivalent
- Tineequivalent
- Liseequivalent
- Elisavetequivalent
- Elizabetaequivalent
- Ilzeequivalent
- Liisiequivalent
- Alžbětaequivalent
- Elizabetoequivalent
- Έλληequivalent
- Ísabellaequivalent
- ლიზიequivalent
- ЛайзаRussian
- Лизаequivalent · Russian
- ÉliseFrench
- Eskeequivalent
- Ilzaequivalent
- Ελισάβετequivalent
- Ελίζαequivalent
- Ζέτταequivalent
- Βέταequivalent
- Elžbietaequivalent
- Erzsébetequivalent
- Élisabethequivalent
- Ealisaidequivalent
- Liesbethequivalent
- Elissavetequivalent
- Ελισσάβετequivalent
- Elesbedequivalent
- Ζέταequivalent
- Elżbietaequivalent
- Έλσηequivalent
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Liza
- Liza MinnelliAmerican actress and singer (born 1946)
- Liza WeilAmerican actressborn 1977
- Liza MarklundSwedish journalist and detective fiction writerborn 1962
- Liza SoberanoFilipino and American actressborn 1998
- Liza KoshyAmerican Internet personalityborn 1996
- Liza LapiraAmerican actressborn 1981
- Liza Colón-ZayasAmerican actressborn 1972
- Liza SnyderAmerican actressborn 1968
- Liza WangHong Kong entertainer and politicianborn 1947
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Liza, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Elissa
“God is my oath” · “My God is bountiful”
>99% girls
Dana
“woran from Denmark” · “dane”
9% boys · 91% girls
Lea
“from the meadow”
>99% girls
Sarita
“princess”
>99% girls
Candy
“a queen” · “one who is white and glowing”
>99% girls
Elsbeth
“God is my oath” · “My God is bountiful”
>99% girls
Buffie
“my God is bountiful”
>99% girls
Kimberly
“of the royal fortress”
>99% girls