Alissa
Alissa was the 1942nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 99 babies. Its best year was 1979, when it ranked 236th; the most babies were born in 1998 (1,231). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,005 places. More babies were named Alissa in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Alyssa) Origin uncertain · American English, Greek, Germanic
- Rank in 2025
- #1,942 girls, down 524 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 99girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19981,231 babies
- Total since 1880
- 38,622babies recorded
What does the name Alissa mean?
Alissa is a spelling of Alyssa, pronounced the same way, so it shares Alyssa's meaning and origin.
Alyssa is a 20th-century name with no single documented origin. Wiktionary lists three possibilities: the garden plant alyssum, from Greek a-, "not", and lyssa, "rabies" (it was thought to cure it); a form of Alicia, the Latinized Alice, from Germanic adal, "noble"; or Elissa, another name of Dido, queen of Carthage. It was especially popular in the US in the 1990s and 2000s.
ἄλυσσον (Ancient Greek, “alyssum (plant)”)adalheit (Old High German, “nobility (via Alice/Alicia)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Three proposed sources; none documented as the actual origin.
Related names: Alissa, Alysa, Elissa, Alicia.
See also: American names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Alyssa', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Alice', DMNES, Durham University
- Wiktionary, entry 'Elissa', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
Alissa popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 31 since 1978.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,942 | 99 |
| 2020 | #1,418 | 154 |
| 2010 | #512 | 585 |
| 2000 | #279 | 1,156 |
| 1990 | #277 | 998 |
| 1980 | #266 | 944 |
| 1970 | #529 | 358 |
| 1960 | #1,698 | 44 |
| 1950 | #2,538 | 16 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Alissa, counting every spelling?
Alissa is a spelling of Alyssa, a name family that ranked #359 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,942 for Alissa on its own. Together these spellings went to 918 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alyssa | 680 | #453 | 4,805 |
| Alisa | 125 | #1,654 | 802 |
| Alissa | 99 | #1,942 | 636 |
| Alysa | 9 | #10,155 | 71 |
| Allyssa | 5 | #15,060 | 51 |
| Alyssah | — | — | 26 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Alissa?
99 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Alissa (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Alissa born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 85 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Alissa.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Alissa?
About 37,500 people born in the US named Alissa are alive today, with a median age of 31; half are between 23 and 42. That makes Alissa mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Alissa by state
How common Alissa was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Arizona (2.4×), California (1.8×), Texas (1.7×), Illinois (1.5×). In 36 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Alissa: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Alissa, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Alissa
What does Alissa mean?
The origin of Alyssa is uncertain: Three proposed sources; none documented as the actual origin.
How popular is the name Alissa?
Alissa was the 1942nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 99 babies. Its best year was 1979, when it ranked 236th; the most babies were born in 1998 (1,231). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,005 places. More babies were named Alissa in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Alissa a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Alissa in the US.
Where is Alissa most popular?
In 2021–2025, Alissa was most common in Arizona (0.18 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and Texas.