Ilsa

Ilsa is a variant of the Old German name Ilse, which means 'God is abundance' or 'God is perfection.' Both Ilsa and Ilse are short forms of the biblical name Elisabeth.

What does the name Ilsa mean?

Ilsa is a derived form of the Old German name Ilse and means 'God is abundance' or 'God is perfection.' Like Ilse, the spelling Ilsa was popular at the beginning of the 20th century but later lost popularity and is now used less frequently. In contemporary times, the variant Elsa is being chosen more often. Other short forms of Elisabeth include Elisa, Elise, Eliza, Else, Elyse, Isa, Liese, and Lisa.

Where does the name Ilsa come from?

The name Ilsa originates as a short form of Elisabeth from the Hebrew name Elischeba, which is composed of the Old Hebrew words el for 'God' and scheba for 'happiness, perfection.'

How do you pronounce Ilsa?

The pronunciation of Ilsa is two syllables and clearly structured. In the German language, it is generally pronounced as 'Il-sa' [ˈɪlsa]. The name begins with a short I sound that is distinctly articulated. The consonant combination '-ls-' creates a certain tension in the middle part, while the open A gently fades away. This gives Ilsa a Nordic clear and friendly note - concise, calm, and balanced.

When is the name day of Ilsa?

The most significant name day for Ilsa is September 23.

Popularity

In Germany, Ilsa ranks among the fairly popular first names and currently holds the 1,418th place on the list of the most common female first names. Its best ranking was in 2019 at 1,388th place. Over the last ten years, Ilsa has been given as a first name approximately 150 times, leading to a position in the ten-year statistics of 1,913. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 2,164th. The global distribution and frequency of Ilsa is variable.

Nicknames & pet names

Illa / Isi

Famous people

• Ilsa Faust (Fictional character from Mission: Impossible)
• Ilsa J. Bick (American author)
• Ilsa Lund (Fictional character from Casablanca)
• Ilsa Paulson (American long-distance runner)