Elizabeth (English)

Where does "Elizabeth" come from?

The name Elizabeth originates from the Old Testament Biblical Hebrew name 'Elisheva,' which carries the profound meaning 'my God is an oath.' It traveled through history via Ancient Greek as 'Elisábet' before eventually entering Middle English. It shares deep linguistic roots with the names Elisheba and Isabel, appearing as a doublet of both.

Full etymology tree

• Elizabeth (English), 'A female given name from Hebrew, popular since the 16th century.'
  • inherited Elizabeth (Middle English), 'Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist.'
    • borrowed Ἐλισάβετ (Elisábet) (Ancient Greek), 'Elizabeth (mother of John the Baptist)'
      • borrowed אֱלִישֶׁבַע (ʾĕlîšeḇaʿ) (Biblical Hebrew)
        • compound El (Biblical Hebrew)
        • compound שבועה (shevu'ah) (Biblical Hebrew)

Direct ancestors

• Elizabeth (Middle English)
• Ἐλισάβετ (Ancient Greek)
• Elisheba (English)
• Isabel (English)

Updated June 2026

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris