Elyse

Elyse is one of the many English diminutives of Elizabeth. The name Elizabeth has been around since the Middle Ages, mainly popularized by the French (using the spelling Elisabeth). Its widespread usage is owed mainly to Elizabeth from the Christian New Testament; the name was borne by the mother of John the Baptist (Luke 1:57). The name is essentially Hebrew in origin (Elisheva) and means “God is my oath.” See the Elizabeth name page for more detail. The 13th and 14th century saints Elizabeth of Hungary and Elizabeth of Portugal also helped cement a healthy regard for this name during precarious medieval times when naming children after venerable saints was a widespread trend (really, a protective measure). Once Elizabeth became established as a super common name, pet forms became more necessary to distinguish among the many Elizabeths. In fact, Elizabeth has birthed more diminutives and pet forms than perhaps any other name: Babette, Bess, Bessie, Beth, Betsy, Bette, Betty, Buffy, Eliza, Ella, Ellie, Elsa, Elsie, Elyse, Libby, Liddy, Lilibet, Lillian, Lisa, Lise, Liz, Liza, Lizbeth, Lizette and Lizzie. And that’s just a partial list! Of course all of these colloquial forms of Elizabeth eventually morphed into independently given names in their own right over time. Elyse is an example of this.