Queen Elizabeth II, who died one year ago today, was a monarch for the ages. In honor of her extraordinary life and reign, here's a deeper look at her extraordinary name.
As a fledgling name nerd, I remember being fascinated by the name Elizabeth. It was so elaborate, so odd for a name that had been so widely used over so many centuries. John, sure, that was a name simple and straightforward enough for the masses to get behind. Anne and Mary, of course they had what it took to transcend the ups and downs of fashion. But Elizabeth, with its long E beginning and lisping ending, its bizarre z in the middle and its four freaking syllables? I don’t think so!
And yet the unlikely Elizabeth has endured. It’s the only girls’ name to have remained in the Top 25 (okay, 26) throughout entire recorded American baby-naming history, since 1880. Elizabeth hit its nadir in 1945, when it dipped to number 26, but it should be noted that its short form Betty was Number 11 that year, after having been in the Top 10 since 1921. Even when Elizabeth and her sisters were relatively unpopular, they were everywhere.
Elizabeth, which means “pledged to God,” springs from the ancient Hebrew custom of referencing God — or El — in a name’s prefix or suffix. The ancient Hebrew form of the name is Elisheva.
The New Testament Elizabeth was the mother of John the Baptist and the cousin of The Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus. She is a descendant of Aaron and wife of Zechariah. There is also an Old Testament personage, wife of Aaron, named Elischeba.
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The queen's charming childhood nickname, Lilibet, was used by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan, for their daughter. Other notable contemporary examples of women named Elizabeth but known by their creative diminutives include actress Busy Phillips and publishing visionary Zibby Owens.
Elizabeth's many short forms, including some that have fallen into disuse over the centuries, include:
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See this list for even more international variations and short forms of Elizabeth.
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Pamela Redmond is the cocreator and CEO of Nameberry and Baby Name DNA. The coauthor of ten groundbreaking books on names, Redmond is an internationally-recognized baby name expert, quoted and published widely in such media outlets as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Today Show, CNN, and the BBC. She has written about baby names for The Daily Beast, The Huffington Post, and People.
Redmond is also a New York Times bestselling novelist whose books include Younger, the basis for the hit television show, and its sequel, Older. She has three new books in the works.
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