Elisha
Meaning of Elisha
Elisha (pronounced ee-LIE-shah) traces back to the Hebrew אֱלִישָׁע, “my God is salvation,” and carries the quiet gravitas of the Old Testament prophet who stepped into Elijah’s sandals—literally and figuratively. In Scripture the name is masculine, yet English usage has long treated it as agreeably unisex; a modern parent might think of both the miracle-working seer and actress Elisha Cuthbert with equal ease. Popularity data show a perennial middle-order performer in the United States, hovering mostly between the 500s and 600s for well over a century—dependable rather than dazzling, like a reliable starter in baseball’s pitching rotation. The balance of spiritual depth, gender flexibility, and an accessible, lilting sound gives Elisha an appeal that feels both rooted and refreshingly understated.
Pronunciation
Hebrew
- Pronunced as ee-LIE-shah (/iː.ˈlaɪ.ʃə/)
English
- Pronunced as ee-LY-shuh (/iː.ˈlaɪ.ʃə/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Elisha
| Canadian actress Elisha Ann Cuthbert began her career as a child performer and won a Gemini Award for her role in "Lucky Girl." |
| Elisha Gray was an American electrical engineer who invented a telephone prototype and accused Bell of stealing the idea, but Bell's patent was upheld in court. |
| Shlomo Elisha Wiesel, the only child of Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, is an American businessman, hedge fund manager, social activist, and philanthropist who worked at Goldman Sachs for 25 years. |
| Reverend Elisha Yale was an American clergyman who founded Kingsborough Academy, now the Fulton County Historical Society and Museum, and published religious works. |
| Elisha Boyd was a Virginia lawyer, soldier, slaveowner, and politician who served in both houses of the state General Assembly and developed Berkeley County. |
| Elisha Hunt Rhodes was a Union Army soldier who rose from corporal to colonel during the Civil War and kept a diary later featured in Ken Burns's documentary. |
| Elisha Graves Otis invented a safety device in 1853 that prevents elevator falls and installed the first passenger safety elevator in 1857. |
| Elisha K. Green was a Los Angeles entrepreneur who made his fortune from windmills and served on the city's Common Council. |
| Elisha Bartlett was a doctor, professor, poet, state representative, and the first mayor of Lowell, Massachusetts. |
| Elisha Dyer was an American politician who served as the 25th Governor of Rhode Island. |
| Elisha Haydon Collier invented a self-priming flintlock revolver around 1818, marking it as one of the earliest true revolvers. |
| Elisha Wesley McComas, a Virginia lawyer and politician, resigned as Lieutenant Governor in 1857 over the administration's handling of John Brown's raid on Harpers' Ferry. |
| Elisha Mulford was an American Christian minister and author of books on theology and civil order in the United States. |
| Elisha Yaffe is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer known for roles in shows like Better Call Saul and voicing characters in DC Nation Shorts. |
| Elisha B. Seaman, a U.S. Army corporal, earned the Medal of Honor for his gallantry at the Battle of Chancellorsville during the American Civil War. |
