Elsie: meaning and UK use

What does Elsie mean?

Elsie developed as a diminutive of Elizabeth. Calling it a direct translation of a religious phrase hides that intermediate name history.

Language or name family covered

English and Swedish

Meaning or derivation

A short form of Elizabeth

Our browsing group

girl; vintage

Browsing groups describe our editorial shortlist, not rules about who may use a name. A name can cross languages and genders.

Sources for this entry — reviewed 2026-10-07:

• Behind the Name — Elsie

Pronunciation and related forms

EL-see (English)

English respellings are approximate; IPA is labelled where used. Follow the pronunciation a person or family chooses, and check it with a speaker of the intended language if that connection matters to you.

No variants or nicknames have been verified for this entry. A family nickname does not need to be an established dictionary form.

How popular is Elsie?

In 2025, 1,700 baby girls in England and Wales were registered as Elsie, making it the 8th most popular girls’ name. That is up 2 places on 2024, when it ranked 10th. Ten years earlier, in 2015, it ranked 33rd, so it has climbed 25 places in a decade. 2025 is its highest ranking in the ONS series, which starts in 1996. These figures cover England and Wales, not the whole UK.

2025 rank (girls)

8th

2025 registrations

1,700

Best rank in this series

8th (2025)

Every year from 1996 to 2025

Elsie: rank and number of baby girls by year (ONS)

Year	Rank	Babies
2025	8	1,700
2024	10	1,727
2023	14	1,662
2022	15	1,763
2021	18	1,840
2020	19	1,772
2019	21	1,760
2018	22	1,875
2017	28	1,699
2016	31	1,574
2015	33	1,513
2014	32	1,497
2013	47	1,181
2012	70	888
2011	87	699
2010	108	535
2009	124	437
2008	179	292
2007	224	227
2006	279	165
2005	361	110
2004	419	86
2003	408	88
2002	513	58
2001	627	41
2000	670	36
1999	678	35
1998	619	41
1997	645	38
1996	823	27

The sum of published counts in this 1996–2025 girls series is 25,366. This is a lower bound where years are suppressed, not the number of living people with the name. A best rank is the best position within this series; it does not establish an all-time record.

Selected hyphenated registrations starting with Elsie in 2025: Elsie-Mae: 90 (girls); Elsie-May: 31 (girls); Elsie-Rose: 26 (girls); Elsie-Rae: 25 (girls). This selection includes up to four matching forms with at least ten registrations, not every compound name.

Sources: ONS release, 2025; girls' dataset; boys' dataset. Our 20 top-ten positions were checked against Table 1 in the 2025 workbooks. The history chart and spelling comparisons come from the separate ONS 1996–2025 workbook, checked 7 October 2026. Spelling variants are separate entries. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate statistics.

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Names to compare with Elsie

These suggestions share a browsing group and one or more of our style tags or source-context labels. They are taste comparisons, not etymological relatives or a popularity ranking.

• Adavintage · From an element meaning noble
• Beatricevintage · A form of Beatrix
• Claravintage · Clear, bright or famous
• Daisyvintage · The daisy flower
• Evelynvintage · From the given name Aveline
• Florencevintage · Prosperous or flourishing

Read the UK naming guide for the difference between inspiration lists and official statistics, or return to the full name finder.

Registering or changing the name

Once you decide on Elsie, confirm the registration process for your UK nation with the register office. If you later want to change a registered name, the route depends on the circumstances and may require consent from people with parental responsibility.

Start with GOV.UK birth registration or GOV.UK guidance on changing a child’s name. Our registration guide and child name-change guide explain where to find the relevant official process.