How to say it
e · LI · za
/ɪˈlaɪ.zə/
Feminine
Eliza
My God is an oath
What it means
Originally a short form of Elizabeth (Hebrew Elisheva), now a standalone given name. Three syllables, e-LIE-zah; not to be confused with two-syllable Liza.
Eliza began as a short form of Elizabeth (the Hebrew Elisheva, 'my God is an oath') and graduated to a standalone given name. George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion (1913), where Eliza Doolittle is transformed from Cockney flower-girl to passing-as-aristocrat, made the name a literary anchor (Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady kept it musical-theater-current). Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton (2015) gave the name a second life via Eliza Schuyler Hamilton (Alexander's wife), played by Phillipa Soo. The English Eliza was in regular use through the 19th century, dropped, and is now climbing again as part of the broader vintage revival. It's been in the US top 200 since 2015.
Popularity over time
peaked at #85 in 1880, currently #115 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pronunciation
e-LIE-zah, three syllables. Not Liza (two syllables, LIE-zah); they're related but used differently.
- Pop culture
Hamilton's Eliza (Schuyler Hamilton) is the current anchor; Pygmalion / My Fair Lady's Eliza Doolittle is the older one.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Eliza Schuyler Hamilton Alexander Hamilton's wife, character in the 2015 musical Hamilton
- Eliza Doolittle George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion (1913) and Lerner & Loewe's My Fair Lady (1956)
Spelling variants
- Elizabeth
- Liza
- Elise
Names with the same feeling
See Eliza from another angle
By meaning
By style