"I have a vivid memory from my junior year of high school—I had recently auditioned for the high school production of The Sound of Music and was scouring the cast list for my name. I finally found it listed next to the role of “Baroness Elsa Schraeder.“ This is embarrassing to admit, but I had never before seen the movie in its entirety and wasn’t familiar with the character. Long story short: Playing the baroness ended up being one of my all-time favorite roles. Despite her nature and the role she plays in the story’s plot line, Baroness Schrader grew on me. The name Elsa grew on me.
I share this story because I’ve always felt a certain affinity for the name Elsa. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade screened regularly in my childhood home, and beyond exposure to the name itself, I’ve always had an interest in Nordic cultures. I’ve also always had a penchant for names beginning with E (not entirely shocking, considering my name, Emilee).
When my husband and I were curating potential baby girl names, we knew that Elsa also came with a Disney connotation as the ice-powered princess from Frozen. But we ultimately decided we didn’t care. To be as clear as humanly possible (for those who’ve asked, for those who’ve wondered, and for those who don’t know me personally but are currently reading this): We did not name our daughter after the Disney cartoon princess. We simply stayed true to ourselves and named our daughter our collective favorite name in spite of pop culture.
And honestly? I am so proud every single day that we did. Here’s why I cherish (and do not regret) naming our daughter Elsa.
It’s a Name True to Myself and My Husband
When I became pregnant with our first child (a boy, we later discovered), my husband and I instantly began discussing names. I love unique names, but my husband is much more in the traditional names camp. We immediately agreed upon a boy’s name but could not agree upon a girl’s name to save our lives.
While I loved the baby name Elsa (detailed above), I was almost embarrassed to say it out loud (Yes, even to my husband). It was 2019, and Frozen fever was rampant. But when I finally did, we also finally found a name we agreed upon. The name hit on my desire for uniqueness (I have yet to meet another “real life” Elsa) and struck a chord with my German husband. We loved its heritage and elegance. As my husband always says, she is our “German princess.”
It’s Now Become a Unique Name
Despite the overwhelming popularity of Frozen (and maybe because of it), Elsa is not presently a popular name. I have yet to see it on a “Most Popular Baby Names” list, and several nurses in the delivery wing noted at separate times that they had yet to deliver or care for a baby bearing that name.
I can only imagine that the Disney film association has kept others from naming their daughters Elsa. In fact, during my pregnancy, I came across many baby app-hosted conversations initiated by mothers polling public opinion on whether or not they were dooming their daughter by naming her Elsa. Sadly, the general consensus was “Definitely do not. Go with your second choice.” While it makes me sad that these other moms, whose stories I read online, were given such advice, it does make me even gladder that my husband and I ultimately went with our gut. After all, Frozen won’t be popular forever (right?).
As an Emilee myself, I’m hopeful my daughter won’t have multiple school classmates who go by the same name. While it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of life, I have to imagine there is something very fun and special about being the only [insert name] you know.
We Inadvertently Granted Our Daughter a Gift
As the name was set on the birth certificate, we, of course, knew some people would associate it with Frozen. But what we didn’t realize was what that association would mean for our daughter’s future friends and peers.
Last summer, we took the kids to a local playground. While there, a family of two young girls arrived and began playing alongside our kids. As I trailed Elsa around the playground, the oldest girl inquired after her name. I’ll never forget the way both girls’ eyes lit up in wonder when they discovered their playground companion shared the name of the infamous snow queen.
While I’m biased (of course) and believe my daughter has a personality that draws people in, I do also believe that my husband and I granted her a little extra magic when we chose her name. Her peers are drawn to her like moths to a flame. She is magical in her own right, and her name tells the world so.
It’s a Name of Many Nicknames
Of course—despite how much my husband and I love and respect her name—it’s a very real possibility that our daughter may not share our feelings and perceptions as she grows. I very sincerely hope this is not the case. I hope that Frozen associations are long past and that she instead views the name as something unique to her. Or, at the very least, comes to view the name the way my husband and I do—as elegant and timeless.
Either way, another reason we chose our daughter’s name was for the nicknames. After seeing Legally Blonde for the first time as a pre-teen, I entertained—for several years—naming a potential future daughter Elle. I love that I can now use Elle as a nickname. My husband and I also debated the name Elsie when deciding upon a name (a name that’s cropping up more frequently), and ultimately went with Elsa, feeling content that Elsie could be pocketed as a pet name.
While we love the name Elsa, we also love the nicknames that come with it—an important consideration when choosing a baby name.
In Defense of Naming Your Baby The Name That You Love
Unfortunately, I’ve heard stories (as I’m sure you have, as well) of parents changing their baby’s name in the ninth inning. A snide comment from a family member—a moment of “honesty” from a good (“good”) friend can crush a parent’s or couple’s baby name dreams in the blink of an eye. As a parent who’s been on the receiving end of “Did you name your daughter after Frozen?” (Well, no—in fact, the name Elsa has been around since the 13th century.), I empathize with anyone who’s been made to feel as though their choice of baby name is peculiar or less than.
But at the end of the day—whether you’ve received unpleasant comments or are currently debating a “controversial” name—I say, as nicely as possible: To heck with it—who cares? Who cares about pop culture associations? Who cares if it isn’t your mom’s favorite choice or if your chosen name doesn’t resonate with your circle of friends?
Truly. What’s relevant right now, or two years from now, won’t be relevant forever. Moments in time are just that—moments. They pass. And your baby deserves to have a name that you love. That you—who loves them fiercely with your entire being, more than anyone else in the entire world—chose just for them. There is something special in that. Dare I say, something magical.
Trust your gut. Have confidence in your decision. Find joy in naming your child what you know in your heart to be true and right, and hold it tight. As for the naysayers? Ignore them. Pop-culture? Remember its irrelevance. Self-doubt? Throw the gloves off and Let it go.
Emilee Janitz, Contributing Writer
Emilee is an accomplished communications strategist and lifestyle journalist. She currently works on the content team at Enterprise SEO company Terakeet where she creates and executes reputation management strategies for Fortune 500 companies. She is a Contributing Fashion Writer for The Everygirl and has additionally been published on POPSUGAR, Motherly, MSN, and Yahoo.