Elspeth

Scottish variation of Elizabeth
"pledged to God"

Elspeth Origin and Meaning

The name Elspeth is a girl's name of Scottish origin meaning "pledged to God".

Elspeth is one of those names that never quite made it out of the British Isles--particularly Scotland, but possesses a winningly childlike charm. Elspeth was used by Sir Walter Scott for several of his female characters.

Elspeth Huxley was a prolific Kenyan-born U.K. writer, best known for the autobiographical The Flame Trees of Thika--she was connected by marriage to the illustrous Huxley family.

A close cousin is Elsbeth, as in the recurring character Elsbeth Tascioni on The Good Wife. Embeth is a more distant relation.

# 505 on Nameberry

Elspeth Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Elspeth Popularity

Famous People Named Elspeth

  • Elspeth Joscelin Huxley
    British novelist
  • Elspeth Ballantyne
    Australian actress
  • Elspeth Thompson
    British gardener and writer
  • Elspeth Howe
    Baroness Howe of Idlicote, English life peer
  • (Jean) Elspeth March
    English actress
  • Elspeth Hanson
    English violist of the string quartet Bond
  • Elspeth Attwooll
    Scottish MEP
  • Elspeth Denning
    Australian Olympic field hockey player
  • Elspeth MacGregor Cameron
    Canadian biographer and poet
  • Elspeth Gibson
    English fashion designer
  • Elspeth Hallsmith
    birth name of Emma Smith, British novelist

Elspeth in Pop Culture

  • Elspeth Gordie
    character in Obernewtyn Chronicles
  • Elspeth Tirel
    from Magic: The Gathering
  • Elspeth Noblin
    character in Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger