Elisse is a variant of Elise, from Elizabeth, a Hebrew name meaning God is my oath.
Elisse is a refined variant within the Elizabeth family tree, its immediate kin being Elise — the elegant French diminutive of Élisabeth, from the Hebrew Elisheba, meaning 'my God is an oath' or 'my God is abundance.' The double-s ending gives the name a slightly more ornate, Latinate cast than the single-s French form, nudging it closer to Elissa — the ancient name borne by the legendary Phoenician princess who fled Tyre, founded Carthage, and became identified with Dido in Virgil's Aeneid. Whether intentional or coincidental, that orthographic closeness grants Elisse a shadow etymology of extraordinary depth.
Elisa, Elise, and their variants spread across Europe through the prestige of the German and French forms, but also through Beethoven, whose 1810 bagatelle Für Elise made the name synonymous with a certain delicate, intimate lyricism. The piano piece remains among the most recognized compositions in Western music, and its association with Elise and related forms has given them a gentle artistic shimmer that has proved remarkably durable. Elisse, as a less common spelling, signals an awareness of that tradition without being subsumed by it.
In the contemporary naming landscape, Elisse occupies a sweet spot: it is recognizable and easy to pronounce on first sight, classical enough to age gracefully, yet spelled distinctively enough to feel individual. Parents drawn to names like Elise, Alysse, or Clarisse often encounter Elisse as the road slightly less traveled — all the same lyrical authority, with a little more room to breathe.