Liesl
Feminine · “God is my oath”
Liesl is a German and Austrian short form of Elisabeth taken from the middle of the name — which is unusual, since most languages clip the ends.
How old is the name Liesl?
Liesl first appears in US birth records in 1965 — 60 years ago. The typical Liesl alive today was born around 1992, making them about 33 years old. About 1,900 people named Liesl are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Liesl most popular?
Liesl peaked in 1966, reaching #1042 nationally. Today it ranks #4265, 3,223 places below that high. See the whole 1966 chart.
Where it comes from
From Elisheva to Liesl
The story of Liesl
German produced an unusually large family from Elisabeth — Else, Ilse, Lies, Liesl, Lisbeth, Betti, Elli — by clipping from every direction. Liesl takes the middle syllable and adds the southern German diminutive -l. It is Austrian and Bavarian in particular. A 1965 film gave it international recognition, and it appears in American records in real numbers from that decade.
Meaning
God is my oath
From Hebrew Elisheva, joining el, God, to a word for an oath or the number seven; German clipped Elisabeth from both ends to leave the middle, giving Lies and then Liesl with a diminutive.
How the name formed
- Elisheva
- Elisabeth
- Liesl
Related forms: Liesel · Elizabeth · Liesje
Pronouncing Liesl
LEE-zul
Two syllables, first stressed; the s is a z sound in German.
Nicknames for Liesl
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1965
- Most girls named
- 1966100 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1042reached in 1966
- Change vs 2024
- +50.0%33 in 2025, from 22
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Liesl in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Liesel in German — spelling variant
- Elizabeth in English — related form
- Liesje in Dutch — related form
Liesls among us
people named Liesl are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 48,705 born in 2025 was named Liesl
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Candelaria test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Liesl's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Candelaria climbed just as high around 1929, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Candelaria's path sketches the road Liesl is walking now.
Liesl sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Liesl is headed
Liesl is easing off slowly — about 15% fewer babies a year by 2030 if the trend continues.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Liesl beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Liesl in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- A settled meaning that forms a complete sentence.
- Elisabeth stands behind it as a fuller formal option.
- Five letters and two syllables, quick to write.
- English readers may say it as one syllable or give the s its English value.
- A 1965 musical is the strongest association for most Americans.
- It reads as a diminutive to German speakers, which may matter on a document.
Nobody names a baby alone.
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What they receive
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Liesl
Feminine · #4265 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Liesls are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 1,900 people named Liesl are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Liesl in 2025?
- Liesl ranks #4265 among US girl names in 2025, with 33 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Liesl?
- About 1 in every 48,705 US girls born in 2025 was named Liesl — 33 in all.
- Will my child share the name Liesl with classmates?
- Liesl will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Liesl
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Hyacinth#4265 · Halina#4265 · Michal#4265 · Sadia#4265 · Zahava#4265 · Maiah#4265 · Daysi#4265 · Corrie#4265
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Liesl? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Liesl and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
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Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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