Holding steady, #7,133 for girls today.
Popularity of Elsbeth since 1906
Babies named Elsbeth per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1983, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Elsbeth's real moment was 1912.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 10 |
| 1910s | 80 |
| 1920s | 105 |
| 1930s | 76 |
| 1940s | 60 |
| 1950s | 43 |
| 1960s | 26 |
| 1970s | 21 |
| 1980s | 111 |
| 1990s | 59 |
| 2000s | 51 |
| 2010s | 63 |
| 2020s | 47 |
Meaning & origin
Elsbeth has a long but quiet history in the United States. It first appeared in records in 1906, and its peak year in popularity was 1912, reflecting a time when Germanic names were more common among immigrant communities. By 2025, the name had fallen to rank 7,133, with only about 1 in 107,151 babies receiving it. Its trajectory has remained stable over the past decade, without a significant revival. Top states where the name sees moderate use include those with strong German heritage, such as Pennsylvania and Ohio. Despite its obscurity, Elsbeth offers a distinctive alternative to the more familiar Elizabeth, retaining a sense of tradition and cultural depth.
Elsbeth is a German variant of Elizabeth, which derives from the Hebrew name Elisheva, meaning 'God is my oath' or 'God is abundance.' The name spread through Christian Europe via the New Testament figure of Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist. In German-speaking regions, Elsbeth has been used as a diminutive and variant since the Middle Ages, particularly in Switzerland and the Rhineland.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Elsie, Liesl, Beth, Elsa
Sibling names for Elsbeth
Names that share Elsbeth's style, for a brother or sister.
