Contribute your knowledge to the name Elspeth

Comments and insights on the name Elspeth: | Edit

More commonly recognized by people of English or Scottish descent. Less frequently seen as "Elspet".

Personal experiences with the name Elspeth: | Edit

We named my daughter Elspeth and have been very happy with the choice. Both my husband and I had ancestors with the name in our family trees, and both of us had heard of people with the name but didn't know too many. Great options for nicknames. In our experience about one third of people who meet our daughter are familiar with the name, another one third are not familiar with it but understand it easily or say something along the lines of "Elsbeth", and another one third of people have difficulty pronouncing it at first and struggle with the 3 consonants in a row or the concept that it's only 2 syllables.

The only person I have known named Elspeth was Finnish.

We also named our daughter Elspeth... her grandmother and great grandmother were Elizabeths, so this was a way to honor them without adding yet another Elizabeth to the family. Her primary nickname is Ellie. Most people prefer to use the nickname because they don't get the pronunciation... like the poster above, it's usually mistaken for Elsbeth or Elizabeth.

I was named Elspeth, as my dad is Scottish, and wanted a Scottish name. My mum's hopes for a "Beth" failed. I don't tend to use nicknames, except from my friends at school, who have somehow managed to come up with "Speth". Weird, I know. Most people mistake it for Elsbeth or Elizabeth. Pronunciations vary between Elsbeth, Elzbeth and Elsabeth. The only people that manage to pronounce it right are family!

Nicknames for Elspeth: | Edit

Elsie, Elsa, Ellie, Elspie, Libby, Eppie

Meanings and history of the name Elspeth: | Edit

Typically considered a Scottish (and possibly old English) contraction of the name "Elizabeth".
It also means chosen by god

Famous real-life people named Elspeth: | Edit

Elspeth Huxley, author, The Flame Trees of Thika

Elspeth in song, story & screen: | Edit

Elspeth Noblin- A character in Audrey Niffenegger's Her Fearful Symmetry

I was named Elspeth after my Grandma and when l was younger did not appreciate it. Since high school, this name has been shorted to Ellie, Beth (although there is no 'B' in my name!)and El. At one point l answered to, 'BooBoo' - please done ask why!!!
I refuse to answer to Elsie as my Grandma disliked it and instructed me never to do this.