Regardless of your age, you probably know at least one person named Elizabeth (or who goes by one of the many nicknames for Elizabeth, or has it as a middle name). How can we be so sure? The name Elizabeth has been one of the top-25 most popular girl names in the United States for more than a century. And unlike some names that are specific to a particular language or a handful of cultures, the name Elizabeth — or more accurately, its many variations in different languages — is used throughout the world.

And though it’s an undoubtedly classic name, there are so many nicknames for Elizabeth that it’s easy to give the timeless name a modern twist so that it never feels stuck in the past. In fact, with options ranging from Alisa to Zizi, there are nicknames for Elizabeth to fit every personality.

So, whether you’re still on the hunt for the perfect baby name or simply curious about this name, here’s what to know about its meaning, history, variations, and nicknames.

Meaning and History of the Name Elizabeth

The original form of Elizabeth is the Hebrew name Elisheva (אֱלִישֶׁבַע), which means “my God is an oath” or “My God is abundance.” The name appears in both the Old Testament and New Testament of the Christian Bible. Part of the popularity of the name Elizabeth also stems from the fact that many members of European royalty use it — most famously, Queen Elizabeth I of England (who reigned from 1558 to 1603), and Queen Elizabeth II, who has been the country’s reigning monarch since 1952. It’s also the name of a member of Hollywood royalty: actor Elizabeth Taylor.

While we tend to think of it only as a first name, Elizabeth can also be a last name. Its use as a surname is most common in the Netherlands (where it’s spelled “Elisabeth”). However, its popularity peaked in the Middle Ages — especially after Elisabeth, Duchess of Thuringia, was canonized around 1230.

Variations of the Name Elizabeth

With such a long history, many versions of the name Elizabeth exist in many different languages. Here are a few examples of the variations and where they’re from:

• Elisabeta, Elisa, Liza, Izabela (Albanian)
• Ilisapesi (Tongan)
• Irihāpeti (Māori)
• Aelswith, Aelswithia, Elesabeth, Elyzabeth (English)
• Ilisabek (Coptic)
• Alžběta, Eliška (Czech)
• Alžbeta (Slovak)
• Ealasaid (Scottish Gaelic)
• Ealisaid (Manx)
• Elesbed (Breton)
• Elizabete, Isabel, Elisabete (Portuguese)
• Eliisabet, Eliise (Estonian)
• Elikapeka (Hawaiian)
• Elisa (Turkish)
• Elizabeti (Swahili)
• Elisabet (Catalan, Danish, Finnish, German, Spanish, Swedish)
• Elísabet (Icelandic)
• Elisabeta (Romanian)
• Élisabeth (French)
• Elisabeth (Catalan, Danish, Dutch, German, Norwegian, Swedish)
• Elisabetta (Italian)
• Elisávet (Greek)
• Zabéta (Greek)
• Elisaveta (Bulgarian)
• Alžbieta (Belarusian)
• Elisheba, Elisheva (Hebrew)
• Elixabete (Basque)
• Elizabeta (Albanian, Croatian, Bosnian, Slovene)
• Elizabete (Basque, Latvian)
• Ellijabeseu (Korean)
• Elsbeth (Dutch, German, Scots, Swiss German)
• Elspeth (Scots)
• Êlizabét (Vietnamese)
• Elizabeta, Jelisaveta (Serbian, Macedonian)
• Yelizaveta, Yelyzaveta (Russian, Ukrainian)
• Elizabet (Russian, Ukrainian)
• Elžbieta, Elzbute (Lithuanian)
• Elżbieta (Polish)
• Erizabesu (Japanese)
• Erzsébet (Hungarian)
• Isabella (Italian, Dutch)
• Isabelle (French, Dutch)
• Isabel (Spanish, Dutch)
• Yeghisabet (Armenian)
• Elsabet (Armenian)
• Yīlìshābái (Chinese Traditional)
• Ēlijābētha (Bengali)
• Ēlizābēth) (Hindi)
• Elizabyet (Mongolian)
• Ēlijābētha) (Nepali)
• Ilīsabata) (Punjabi)
• Elicapet) (Tamil)
• Elisābeṭh (Thai)
• Eʻlyzabeta (Yiddish)

Nicknames for Elizabeth

With so many nicknames for Elizabeth to choose from, it’ll be hard to pick your favorite. Here are some to consider:

1. Abby
2. Alisa
3. Babette
4. Bea
5. Bee
6. Belita
7. Beta
8. Betusca
9. Belita
10. Belize
11. Belle
12. Bess
13. Bessie
14. Bet
15. Beth
16. Bethan
17. Bethee
18. Betka
19. Betsy
20. Bette
21. Betta
22. Bettina
23. Betty
24. Billie
25. Birdie/Birdy
26. Bizzy
27. Buffy
28. Effy
29. Eilís/Éilis
30. Ella/Ela
31. Elisa
32. Elise
33. Elixane
34. Eliza
35. Elize
36. Elle
37. Ellie
38. Elsa
39. Elsie
40. Elsy
41. Elza
42. Etta
43. Etti
44. Ibby
45. Ilsa
46. Isa
47. Isabelita
48. Isla
49. Izzie/Izzy
50. Lea
51. Lela
52. Lettie
53. Lib
54. Libby
55. Liddy
56. Liesl
57. Lilibet
58. Lilli
59. Lisa
60. Lisbet
61. Lise
62. Lisett
63. Liz
64. Liza
65. Lizbeth
66. Lizina
67. Lizzie
68. Lizzo
69. Lydda
70. Tibby
71. Tess
72. Tetty
73. Thea
74. Tina
75. Yza
76. Zabby
77. Zabella
78. Zabeth
79. Zea
80. Zella
81. Zibby
82. Zizi

The post From Bea To Lizzo, These Nicknames For Elizabeth Are The Cutest appeared first on Scary Mommy.