Elisha

Elisha - A very unique male name

Elisha appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #562. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Elisha and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Elisha? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Elisha. The baby boy name Elisha was given to 287 baby boys in 2025, ranking #769 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 5,109 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Elisha peaked in popularity 116 years ago in 1910 on position 562.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Elisha, 1-5?

Elisha is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Elisha is currently topping the baby name charts in South Carolina at position #449 - and is the least popular in Illinois at position #1,169.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Elisha is where you live.

---

Comment and discuss

---

Elisha origin and meaning

Hebrew, from the Bible

My God is salvation

Elisha was the prophet who succeeded Elijah, performing miracles across the Books of Kings. For boys the name has never left American use, peaking most recently in 2008 and rising again now. Its soft sh- and -a ending make it one of the biblical boys' names most often misread as a girls' name in English.

Attested etymology

Elisha is a 6 letter name with 3 syllables.

To see famous people named Elisha, pop culture references for the name Elisha and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Elisha

We've found the following names that sound similar to Elisha, sorted by popularity.

Elijah / Elias / Ellis / Eliseo / Elzie / Elyas / Elyjah / Eligio / Elza / Eligah /

---

Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Elisha

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Elisha a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Elisha?

3 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

---

Pronunciation

eh-LY-shah · /ɪˈlaɪʃə/
The traditional boys' pronunciation is eh-LY-shah; eh-LEE-shah is also common, which increases the misreading as a girls' name.

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Eliseo — The Spanish form of the same biblical name, a separate entry

Famous bearers

• Elisha — Hebrew prophet, successor of Elijah in the Books of Kings (Biblical) Historical

Style

Biblical

Why parents choose it

Elisha offers real prophetic weight in a gentler sound than Elijah — a Bible name for parents who like softness in a boys' name.

Worth knowing

• Constantly misread as a girls' name (it resembles Alicia and Felicia) and mispronounced eh-LEE-shah
• Must not be confused with Elijah, his mentor — the two names travel together