Declining since 2015, #4,758 for girls today.
Popularity of Liesel since 1954
Babies named Liesel per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 5 |
| 1960s | 71 |
| 1970s | 86 |
| 1980s | 162 |
| 1990s | 125 |
| 2000s | 210 |
| 2010s | 399 |
| 2020s | 183 |
Meaning & origin
Liesel is a German diminutive of Elisabeth that has made a modest showing in U.S. naming records since 1954. It reached its peak popularity in 2015, with usage declining gradually since then. In 2025 it ranked 4,758, given to approximately 1 in 57,402 newborn girls, reflecting a gentle but persistent drop in adoption. The name's trajectory shows a clear falling trend over the past decade, having never cracked the top 1,000. Liesel's appeal likely owes to its literary and cinematic connections, particularly through the character in The Book Thief and The Sound of Music, which introduced the name to English-speaking audiences. Its usage as a standalone name, rather than a nickname for Elisabeth, is characteristic of modern naming preferences for Germanic, feminine-sounding choices.
Liesel is a German diminutive of Elisabeth, which originates from the Hebrew name Elisheva, meaning 'God is my oath' or 'God is abundance'. It was historically used as a pet form or independent name in German-speaking regions, particularly in Bavaria and Austria. The name gained broader recognition through cultural exports like the character Liesel in the musical 'The Sound of Music' (1959) and the novel 'The Book Thief' (2005).
“Liesel” around the world
Where Liesel lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Lies, Lisi, Liesl
Variants: Liesl, Lisele, Lieselotte
Sibling names for Liesel
Names that share Liesel's style, for a brother or sister.
Sisters: Greta, Heidi, Marta, Ana, Clara, Christel, Gretchen, Gretel, Heide, Marlene, Mitzi, Rudi, Elsbeth, Grethel, Heidie, Kathe, Wendelin, Fritzi, Grettel, Hildy, Konni, Rheda, Valeska, Haide, Heike, Maritta, Reizel
Brothers: Hans, Klaus, Fritz, Max, Otto, Alois, Armin, Dietrich, Erwin, Franz, Hagen, Hansel, Konrad, Kurt, Niklaus, Rainer, Reinhold, Rommel, Sigmund, Wilhelm, Wolfgang, Braun, Dieter, Edel, Fredrich, Heinrich, Heinz, Helmuth, Jurgen, Marzell, Rolfe, Siegfried, Tilman, Ulrich, Dietrick, Elmar, Gerhart, Gottlieb, Hanzel, Ludwin, Manfred, Ranier, Reiner, Wagner, Deitrick, Detrich, Gotti, Hanz, Ignatz, Kleber, Kohler, Othmar, Sie, Wenzel, Willi, Zigmond
