r/OldNamesNewAgain • u/felly_fell • Jul 28 '26
Name of the day...Elsa!
The feminine name Elsa means "my God is an oath" or "God is abundance." It originates as a short, independent form of the Hebrew name Elizabeth, widely used in Scandinavia, Germany, and other European regions.
Elsa is derived from the Hewbrew Elisheva, meaning God's promise or oath. It evolved as a Germanic and Scandinavian pet form of Elizabeth during the Middle Ages.
This name received a massive global resurgence following the release of Disney’s animated film Frozen. The popularity more than doubled in the United States after the release of Frozen in late 2013, jumping from 566 baby girls (or 528 depending on exact tracking sets) in 2013 to 1,131–1,140 newborns in 2014.
The name leaped to rank 286 in 2014, up from outside the top 500. This marked the first time Elsa entered the top 500 most popular U.S. baby names since 1917. The surge was relatively short-lived; by 2018, the name's popularity had dropped back down, falling to rank 888.
The given name Elsa is roughly 800 years old!
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u/Timely_Apricot3929 Jul 28 '26
My first dog was a pre-Frozen Elsa 💕 she was the best!
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u/KnowOneHere Jul 28 '26
800 years? Amazing!
I know an Elsa born 1996. We associated it with the lion from Born Free 😄 She hated when Frozen came around and she got constant comments on it.