If You Like Elizabeth, You'll Love...

Ellie

English, diminutive of Eleanor and Ellen

"bright shining one"

Ellie first took off in the UK—yes, in this nickname form—and this warm and friendly name has also become hugely popular here. In 2011, Ellie entered the US Top 100 girl names for the first time and…

Ella

German; English

"all, completely; fairy maiden"

Ella is a sweet, simple name that owes much of its current popularity to the popularity of other names, from Emma to Bella to Emily to Ellie. Ella is one of those names that has ranked in the US Top…

Eliza

Hebrew

"pledged to God"

Eliza is a name with a wonderful combination of streamlined zest and Eliza Doolittle charm and spunk. It's a classic that's popular right now -- but not too popular. Eliza has not been in the Top 100…

Elsie

Diminutive of Elizabeth via its Scottish variation, Elspeth

"pledged to God"

Elsie is a sweet vintage nickname-name turned modern star. After a 30-year hiatus, Elsie started climbing the US popularity list 20 years ago and is still headed for the top. In its native Britain,…

Elise

French variation of Elizabeth

"pledged to God"

Elise is one of those golden names that stylish but not TOO popular. Its appeal is due in large part to its French flair and to the love for El-names in general. Elise originated as French diminutive…

Elisa

Spanish and Italian, diminutive of Elizabeth

Elisa is one of the most appealing of this contingent of Elizabeth-related names. In the US, Eliza is much more stylish these days, but Elisa is very popular internationally — especially in Europe…

Ellis

English surname derived from Elijah or Elias or Welsh

"benevolent"

Ellis, a surname used sparingly as a first in the Wallace/Morris period, sounds new now for girls, as a gender-neutral alternative to Ella or Alice. It debuted in the US Top 1000 for girls in 2015.--…

Bethany

Biblical place name and Hebrew

"house of figs"

Bethany is a lyrical name that still strikes many parents as a fresher, more substantial substitute for the overused Brittany/Brittney or the more antiquated Beth. In the New Testament, Bethany is…

Lisa

English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Italian

"pledged to God"

Elvis naming his daughter Lisa Marie and Nat King Cole's hit song "Mona Lisa" conspired to catapult one of Elizabeth's many offshoots to a high of #4 in 1970. It has largely fallen from favor in the…

Annabeth

Combination of Anna and Beth

This is a long-recognized smoosh name merging Anna with the short form of Elizabeth, and is one of the prettiest combo names, a possible alternative to Annabel. Annabeth Chase is one of the main…

Bess

English diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew

"pledged to God"

Although she declared her independence as far back as the reign of Elizabeth I — Good Queen Bess, Bess now sounds less passé than Beth or Betsy.

Bethia

Hebrew

"daughter of Jehovah"

Long forgotten Old Testament name with modern potential.

Betsy

Diminutive of Elizabeth

"pledged to God"

This Elizabeth nickname has a decidedly retro feel--think Betsy Ross and the Betsy Wetsy doll-- once seen as a perkier, younger-sounding alternative to Betty. But with Betty on the brink of a…

Elizabella

English combination of Eliza + Bella

"pledged to God + beautiful"

Elizabella is a much more obscure smoosh than sisters Isabella and Annabelle, but the megapopularity of Isabella may give this unusual combo name a boost.

Ellen

English variation of Helen

"torch; shining light"

An medieval English form of Helen, the sensitive but clear-eyed Ellen has swung in and out of style for centuries, often alternating with the parent name. Ellen was the more common in medieval…

Elsa

German diminutive of Elisabeth

"pledged to God"

Lost in limbo for decades and decades, Elsa now stands a good chance of following along in the progression from Emma to Ella to Etta, thanks to the ice queen heroine who "Let It Go" in the wildly…

Elsbeth

German variation of Elizabeth, Hebrew

"pledged to God"

Although they could be easily confused, Elsbeth is a fairly unusual contracted German version of Elizabeth, while cousin Elspeth hails from Scotland. With its 'beth' ending, Elsbeth feels closer to…

Elspeth

Scottish variation of Elizabeth

"pledged to God"

Elspeth is one of those names that never quite made it out of the British Isles--particularly Scotland, but possesses a winningly childlike charm. Elspeth was used by Sir Walter Scott for several of…

Embeth

English combination of Emma + Beth

"universal + pledged to God"

South African-raised actress Embeth Davidtz added this unique smooth name to the mix. Perfect if you can't decide between Emma and Elizabeth and more unusual than Annabeth.

Ilsa

German variation of Elizabeth

"pledged to God"

Ilsa is remembered as the radiant but tragic heroine of "Casablanca," and it's having something of a European resurgence.