History of Christian names

by Charlotte M. Yonge

Poetry did not improve our Queen Elizabeth by making her into Eliza, a form which, however, became so prevalent in England during the early part of the present century, that Eliza and Elizabeth are sometimes to be found in the same family. No name has so many varieties of contraction, as will be seen by the ensuing list, where, in deference to modern usage, Elizabeth is placed separately from Isabella.

English.	Scotch.	German.	Bavarian.	Swiss.
Elizabeth	Elizabeth	Elisabeth	Lisi	Elsbeth
Eliza	Elspeth	Elise	Liserl	Betha
Bessy	Elspie	Lise		Bebba
Betsey	Bessie	Lischen		Bebbeli
Betty	Lizzie	Elsabet
Lizzy		Elsbet
Libby		Bettine
Lisa		Bette
		Ilse
Danish.	French.	Italian.	Russian.	Polish.
Elisabeth	Elisabeth	Elisabetta	Jelissaveta	Elzbieta
Elsebin	Elise	Elisa	Lisa	Elzbietka
Helsa	Babet	Betta	Lisenka
	Babette	Bettina
	Babichon	Lisettina
Servian.	Slovak.	Esthonian.	Hungarian.	Lusatian.
Jelisavcta	Lizbeta	Ello	Erzebet	Hilzbeta
Jelisavka	Liza	Elts	Erzsi	Hilza
Liza	Lizika	Liso	Erszok	Hilzizka
			Orse	Lisa
			Orsike	Liska
				Beta

Lise and Lisette are sometimes taken as contractions of Elisabeth, but they properly belong to Louise.

English.	Scotch.	French.	Spanish.	Portuguese.
Isabella	Isabel	Isabeau	Ysabel	Isabel
Isabel	Isbel	Isabelle	Bela	Isabelhina
Belle	Tibbie
Nib
Ibbot
Ib

Scotland and Spain are the countries of Isabel; England and Germany of Elizabeth.

The noblest prophet of the kingdom of Israel was called by two Hebrew words, meaning God the Lord, a sound most like what is represented by the letters Eliyahu, the same in effect as that of the young man who reproved Job and his friends, though, in his case, the Hebrew points have led to his being called in our Bible Elihu, while we know the prophet as Elijah, the translators probably intending us to pronounce the j like an i. The Greek translators had long before formed Ἠλιας, the Elias of the New Testament.

When the Empress Helena visited Palestine, she built a church on Mount Carmel, around which arose a cluster of hermitages, and thus the great prophet and his miracles became known both to East and West.

When the Crusaders visited the Mount of Carmel frowning above Acre, and beheld the church and the hermits around it, marked the spot where the great prophet had prayed, and the brook where he slew the idolaters, no wonder they became devoted to his name, and Helie became very frequent, especially among the Normans. Helie de la Flèche was the protector of Duke Robert’s young son, William Clito; and Helie and Elie were long in use in France, as Ellis must once have been in England, to judge by the surnames it has left. Elias is still very common in the Netherlands.

The order of Carmelites claimed to have been founded by the prophet himself; but when the Latins inundated Palestine, it first came into notice, and became known all over the West. It was placed under the invocation of St. Mary, who was thus called in Italy the Madonna di Carmela or di Carmine, and, in consequence, the two names of Carmela and Carmine took root among the Italian ladies, by whom they are still used. The meaning of Carmel, as applied to the mountain, is vineyard or fruitful field.

Elisha’s name meant God of Salvation. It becomes Eliseus in the New Testament, but has been very seldom repeated; though it is possible that the frequent Ellis of the middle ages may spring from it.