Eliza is a gender-neutral name of Hebrew origin, first appearing in the 18th century. It is an abbreviation of Elizabeth, which means "God is satisfaction," and can also be adapted from Aliza, meaning "joyful". While Eliza is more commonly used for girls, it can be used for boys as a variant of Eli or Elijah. The name has various cultural origins, including Hebrew, Greek, American, and French. In different languages and cultures, Eliza is associated with meanings such as "oath of God," "God is satisfaction," and "pledged to God". The name Eliza has a rich history and can be traced back to the Bible, where Elizabeth was the mother of John the Baptist. It was popularized during the late medieval period, influenced by two saints: St. Elizabeth of Hungary and St. Elizabeth of Portugal. The name was brought to England by the French, who primarily used the spelling Elisabeth. The English are credited with forming Eliza as a hypocorism, which is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Some famous bearers of the name Eliza include Eliza Doolittle from George Bernard Shaw's play 'Pygmalion' and the musical 'My Fair Lady'.
