What Does the Name Elsa Mean?

Elsa is a girl's name of German / Scandinavian (from Hebrew) origin meaning “God is my oath / pledged to God.”

Updated June 2026

Name	Elsa
Gender	female
Origin	German / Scandinavian (from Hebrew)
Meaning	God is my oath / pledged to God
Variants	Elsie, Ilsa, Else, Elisabeth
Popularity	A long-time classic in Sweden, Germany, and Iceland; surged in the US and globally after Frozen (2013).

The meaning and origin of Elsa

The name Elsa means “God is my oath / pledged to God” and has German / Scandinavian (from Hebrew) origins. A German and Scandinavian short form of Elisabeth, from Hebrew Elisheva ("God is my oath"). It was greatly popularized worldwide by Disney's Frozen.

Variants and related names

Elsa is related to several other names you may recognize: Elsie, Ilsa, Else, Elisabeth. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.

How popular is the name Elsa?

A long-time classic in Sweden, Germany, and Iceland; surged in the US and globally after Frozen (2013).

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