Do you consider Lisa to be a "Jewish name?"

[Anonymous]

No, it isn't.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think it’s a Jewish name. I’m not Jewish, but I have a Hebrew / Biblical name so I am used to people assuming I’m Jewish. I think Lisa is a 1980s name like Laura, Michelle, Kristen, Jennifer, Sarah, Rachel, Kelly, or Megan. Of all the super common 80’s names, the names I think of as most likely to be Jewish women in their 40s are Melissa / Marissa and Amy / Aimee.

[Anonymous]

When I hear “Lisa” I think of older Jewish moms and blonde English people.

[Anonymous]

No. Lisa was a very common name in the 1960s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Over my 40+ years I’ve known Jewish and non-Jewish Lisas and think of the characters Lisa Turtle on Saved by the Bell and of course Lisa Simpson. More tied to an age range than to any religion, ethnicity, or race.

Interestingly tho, this character was supposed to play on Jewish American Princess stereotypes. They just went a different way when casting.

[Anonymous]

No. I used to live in Montgomery County but now I don't.

My main association with Jewish names is just those that are close to original Hebrew spellings and present in the Bible. In the places I've lived outside of Montgomery County, there are no default assumptions with Biblical names because mainstream Christians use those names as well.

The poster who suggested an Italian-American connection rang a faint bell in my memory.

[Anonymous]

Interesting. I don’t think of Lisa as a Jewish name, but now that you mention it, of my four friends named Lisa, two of them are Jewish.
We were all born 1977-1981 fwiw.

[Anonymous]

No. It's just a generic 60s/70s/somewhat 80s name to me- like Michelle, Karen, Amy, Julie, etc. Now, among other names that were popular in that timeframe, it's probably more popular among Jews than say, Christina or Kathleen, but it sounds much less Jewish to me than Rebecca, Sarah, or Deborah (which are also generic names that were widely used by people of all creeds during that timeframe, but were/are particularly popular among Jews). Lisa though? I don't see it.

Really, the only thought I have on the name Lisa used for a baby born in 2024 is that I would probably assume the baby is named after someone because it is such a Boomer/Gen X/sort of millennial (but not really) name and just so rarely given to Gen Z/Gen Alpha kids. I don't mind it though, it's not a bad name!

[Anonymous]

Neutral name

[Anonymous]

Just a generic very popular in the late 60s-early 80s name. People of all religions, ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses named Lisa. It’s that generic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It would be Elisheva/Alizabeth or nn Liza (sounds like Lisa).

The wife of Aaron (Moses' homeboy)

Aaron and Moses were brothers

[Anonymous]

I think of it as Italian/Catholic. Short for Melissa, and I think of the Mona Lisa.

[Anonymous]

Lisa was popular in my age group, born on the 1960s, as was Karen, Lori and Wendy. There was always a Lisa B, Lisa S, and same with the other names. Did not know anyone who was Jewish named Lisa.

When I think of Jewish girls of that era, they were named Susan (Suzy), Barbara or Sarah.

[Anonymous]

No. It’s a late 70’s, early 80’s name.

[Anonymous]

I’m a Lisa born in 1979. All the Lisa’s I know are older than me.