It's pronounced Ell-leese, like the Lotus. It's a French diminutive of Elizabeth.
I know practically everyone calls their son Joshua, but it's a name we love and is the name of a dear friend too. Sean was my late father's middle name and is the masculine variant of Siobhan which is my middle name, and in my hubby's family all the men have Alexander as part of their name. We don't have such a family tradition with the female names, although Vivienne was my darling grandmother's name and I know that she was have been thrilled to have her great grandaughter have her naem too.