Fun Facts About the Name Lisa
- An established favorite: Lisa held a place in the U.S. top 100 for 40 consecutive years, from 1954 through 1993.
- More than 970 thousand babies named Lisa: U.S. records list 970,005 babies given the name Lisa from 1880 through 2025. Even 2,784 boys received the name Lisa - about 1 boy for every 347 girls.
What Does the Name Lisa Mean?
Lisa is a feminine name that developed as a short form of Elizabeth. Its meaning is inherited from Elizabeth, which comes from the Hebrew name Elisheva (אֱלִישֶׁבַע). The first element is El (אֵל), "God." The second element is disputed: it may come from shavu'a (שְׁבוּעָה), "oath," or be connected with sheva (שֶׁבַע), "seven," a number that can suggest fullness. From these explanations come the customary meanings "my God is an oath" and "my God is abundance." Because Lisa is a diminutive form rather than a direct Hebrew name, it has no separate literal meaning of its own.
Lisa Name History & Origins
Lisa developed as a short form of Elisabeth, the European form of Elizabeth. Elizabeth is a biblical name: in the New Testament, Elizabeth (Greek Ἐλισάβετ, from Hebrew Elisheva) is the mother of John the Baptist. Through Christian Europe, the name took forms such as Latin Elisabeth and vernacular Elisabeth, Elisabet, and Elisabetha. From these, speakers created familiar short forms, including Lisa, Lise, and Elisa.
Lisa became an independent given name in several languages. In German, Dutch, and the Scandinavian languages, it is used both as a nickname for Elisabeth and as a name in its own right. In English, Lisa is likewise both a short form of Elizabeth and a standalone name. The name appears in the title Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci's portrait of Lisa Gherardini; the title pairs the Italian honorific mona (from ma donna, "my lady") with her given name. Related French Lise and Italian and Spanish Elisa have their own histories.
How Popular is the Name Lisa?
Lisa remained among the top 100 girl names in the U.S. from 1954 to 1993. Its highest annual birth count was in 1965, and people born that year turn 61 in 2026.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #991 | 256 | 0.0159% |
| 2024 | #985 | 262 | 0.0162% |
| 2023 | #851 | 315 | 0.0197% |
| 2022 | #932 | 290 | 0.0177% |
| 2021 | #1,026 | 248 | 0.0151% |
| 2020 | #1,037 | 243 | 0.0150% |
| 2019 | #957 | 276 | 0.0165% |
| 2018 | #878 | 308 | 0.0181% |
| 2017 | #882 | 309 | 0.0179% |
| 2016 | #831 | 345 | 0.0195% |
| 2015 | #755 | 374 | 0.0210% |
| 2014 | #740 | 378 | 0.0212% |
| 2013 | #771 | 354 | 0.0202% |
| 2012 | #707 | 398 | 0.0226% |
| 2011 | #704 | 396 | 0.0225% |
| 2010 | #713 | 396 | 0.0223% |
| 2009 | #693 | 420 | 0.0229% |
| 2008 | #603 | 509 | 0.0269% |
| 2007 | #573 | 525 | 0.0273% |
| 2006 | #500 | 609 | 0.0320% |
| 2005 | #494 | 619 | 0.0335% |
| 2004 | #427 | 710 | 0.0387% |
| 2003 | #372 | 811 | 0.0444% |
| 2002 | #360 | 830 | 0.0462% |
| 2001 | #337 | 908 | 0.0504% |
| 2000 | #295 | 1,088 | 0.0599% |
| 1999 | #282 | 1,113 | 0.0627% |
| 1998 | #230 | 1,364 | 0.0772% |
| 1997 | #194 | 1,546 | 0.0888% |
| 1996 | #168 | 1,864 | 0.1063% |
| 1995 | #144 | 2,236 | 0.1272% |
| 1994 | #123 | 2,564 | 0.1436% |
| 1993 | #100 | 3,223 | 0.1782% |
| 1992 | #88 | 3,781 | 0.2051% |
| 1991 | #83 | 4,395 | 0.2344% |
| 1990 | #64 | 5,347 | 0.2816% |
| 1989 | #55 | 6,574 | 0.3566% |
| 1988 | #43 | 7,267 | 0.4081% |
| 1987 | #40 | 7,549 | 0.4342% |
| 1986 | #40 | 7,906 | 0.4608% |
| 1985 | #36 | 9,015 | 0.5239% |
| 1984 | #29 | 10,237 | 0.6080% |
| 1983 | #27 | 11,471 | 0.6866% |
| 1982 | #23 | 12,637 | 0.7463% |
| 1981 | #18 | 14,295 | 0.8570% |
| 1980 | #16 | 15,666 | 0.9435% |
| 1979 | #13 | 17,285 | 1.0767% |
| 1978 | #11 | 17,034 | 1.1120% |
| 1977 | #12 | 17,013 | 1.1097% |
| 1976 | #9 | 17,348 | 1.1841% |
| 1975 | #8 | 18,139 | 1.2442% |
| 1974 | #8 | 19,777 | 1.3476% |
| 1973 | #5 | 22,673 | 1.5548% |
| 1972 | #3 | 27,543 | 1.8106% |
| 1971 | #3 | 32,910 | 1.9780% |
| 1970 | #2 | 38,965 | 2.2289% |
| 1969 | #1 | 45,028 | 2.6691% |
| 1968 | #1 | 49,533 | 3.0196% |
| 1967 | #1 | 52,436 | 3.1760% |
| 1966 | #1 | 56,918 | 3.3636% |
| 1965 | #1 | 60,269 | 3.4144% |
| 1964 | #1 | 54,271 | 2.8641% |
| 1963 | #1 | 56,040 | 2.9076% |
| 1962 | #1 | 46,074 | 2.3428% |
| 1961 | #2 | 42,719 | 2.1165% |
| 1960 | #6 | 33,695 | 1.6665% |
| 1959 | #10 | 25,702 | 1.2702% |
| 1958 | #19 | 20,200 | 1.0042% |
| 1957 | #26 | 15,140 | 0.7404% |
| 1956 | #31 | 11,012 | 0.5485% |
| 1955 | #48 | 8,539 | 0.4367% |
| 1954 | #73 | 5,913 | 0.3045% |
| 1953 | #111 | 3,602 | 0.1915% |
| 1952 | #126 | 2,842 | 0.1533% |
| 1951 | #177 | 1,698 | 0.0943% |
| 1950 | #220 | 1,175 | 0.0686% |
| 1949 | #318 | 596 | 0.0348% |
| 1948 | #364 | 468 | 0.0276% |
| 1947 | #388 | 423 | 0.0239% |
| 1946 | #426 | 327 | 0.0208% |
| 1945 | #451 | 250 | 0.0191% |
| 1944 | #520 | 193 | 0.0145% |
| 1943 | #592 | 162 | 0.0116% |
| 1942 | #672 | 124 | 0.0092% |
| 1941 | #743 | 92 | 0.0076% |
| 1940 | #737 | 89 | 0.0078% |
| 1939 | #780 | 77 | 0.0070% |
| 1938 | #798 | 79 | 0.0072% |
| 1937 | #958 | 53 | 0.0050% |
| 1936 | #1,016 | 47 | 0.0045% |
| 1935 | #1,323 | 31 | 0.0030% |
| 1934 | #1,277 | 32 | 0.0031% |
| 1933 | #1,693 | 21 | 0.0021% |
| 1932 | #1,141 | 40 | 0.0037% |
| 1931 | #1,412 | 28 | 0.0026% |
| 1930 | #1,360 | 32 | 0.0028% |
| 1929 | #1,740 | 22 | 0.0020% |
| 1928 | #2,699 | 12 | 0.0010% |
| 1927 | #2,490 | 14 | 0.0012% |
| 1926 | #1,467 | 31 | 0.0026% |
| 1925 | #2,707 | 13 | 0.0011% |
| 1924 | #1,843 | 23 | 0.0018% |
| 1923 | #2,415 | 15 | 0.0012% |
| 1922 | #2,437 | 15 | 0.0012% |
| 1921 | #2,248 | 17 | 0.0014% |
| 1920 | #2,220 | 17 | 0.0014% |
| 1919 | #2,448 | 14 | 0.0012% |
| 1918 | #2,446 | 14 | 0.0012% |
| 1917 | #2,493 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1916 | #2,748 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1915 | #2,197 | 14 | 0.0014% |
| 1914 | #2,074 | 12 | 0.0016% |
| 1913 | #1,500 | 16 | 0.0026% |
| 1912 | #2,522 | 7 | 0.0013% |
| 1911 | #1,729 | 9 | 0.0022% |
| 1910 | #1,705 | 9 | 0.0023% |
| 1907 | #1,734 | 7 | 0.0022% |
| 1905 | #2,100 | 5 | 0.0017% |
| 1904 | #1,319 | 9 | 0.0033% |
| 1899 | #1,336 | 7 | 0.0030% |
| 1896 | #1,728 | 5 | 0.0021% |
| 1886 | #1,048 | 6 | 0.0042% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,759 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1996 | #7,649 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1994 | #4,698 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1993 | #7,295 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #5,112 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1991 | #4,146 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1990 | #4,106 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1989 | #2,273 | 30 | 0.0015% |
| 1988 | #1,807 | 38 | 0.0020% |
| 1987 | #2,248 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 1986 | #1,946 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 1985 | #1,821 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 1984 | #1,414 | 46 | 0.0025% |
| 1983 | #1,287 | 52 | 0.0029% |
| 1982 | #1,456 | 44 | 0.0024% |
| 1981 | #1,140 | 65 | 0.0036% |
| 1980 | #1,170 | 61 | 0.0034% |
| 1979 | #1,083 | 68 | 0.0039% |
| 1978 | #1,279 | 50 | 0.0030% |
| 1977 | #1,217 | 53 | 0.0032% |
| 1976 | #1,079 | 61 | 0.0039% |
| 1975 | #989 | 69 | 0.0044% |
| 1974 | #950 | 74 | 0.0047% |
| 1973 | #999 | 66 | 0.0042% |
| 1972 | #820 | 96 | 0.0059% |
| 1971 | #725 | 130 | 0.0074% |
| 1970 | #709 | 138 | 0.0074% |
| 1969 | #647 | 149 | 0.0083% |
| 1968 | #577 | 172 | 0.0099% |
| 1967 | #680 | 120 | 0.0069% |
| 1966 | #607 | 151 | 0.0085% |
| 1965 | #576 | 177 | 0.0095% |
| 1964 | #675 | 131 | 0.0066% |
| 1963 | #716 | 120 | 0.0059% |
| 1962 | #746 | 105 | 0.0051% |
| 1961 | #854 | 81 | 0.0038% |
| 1960 | #823 | 86 | 0.0040% |
| 1959 | #1,009 | 59 | 0.0028% |
| 1958 | #1,296 | 36 | 0.0017% |
| 1957 | #1,473 | 29 | 0.0013% |
| 1956 | #1,864 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1955 | #1,763 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 1954 | #2,868 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1953 | #2,827 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1952 | #3,266 | 7 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
