The name Elizabeth comes from the Hebrew אלישׁבע (ʾelisheḇaʿ, pronounced ell-ee-SHEV-ah), where it is the name for Aaron’s wife in Exodus 6:23. This theophoric name comes from a combination of Hebrew verb שׁבע (shavaʿ ), which means "to swear, bind with an oath," and אל (ʾel), which is either the name of the Canaanite deity ʾEl (אל), or the Hebrew word for "God." This renders, "God is my oath" or "ʾEl is my oath."

In the Gospel of Luke 1:5–56, John the Baptist's mother, who was a descendant of Aaron, goes by the Greek variation of Elisheba, which is Ἐλισάβετ (Elisábet). This is the origin of the popular English name Elizabeth.