Alyssa
Girl name · #453 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Alyssa? In official American birth records, Alyssa has been tracked continuously since 1950, giving it 75 years of documented American history.
Alyssa ranks #453 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 680 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #93, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,647 girls born in 2025 was named Alyssa.
Babies named Alyssa per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 75-year story
Alyssa first appears in the Social Security records in 1950, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1999, when 14,036 girls were named Alyssa — good for #11 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Alyssa against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Alyssa in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Alyssa is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Alyssa will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Alyssa is most common
Geography matters for names, and Alyssa is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Alyssa is most common in CA (0.8 per 1,000), MA (0.7 per 1,000), FL (0.7 per 1,000), KY (0.7 per 1,000), TX (0.6 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.5 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Alyssa is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Alyssa
Statistically, parents drawn to Alyssa tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Tessa, Clarissa, Alexis, Marissa, and Vanessa.
TessaClarissaAlexisMarissaVanessaAdrianaHannaSierra
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Alyssa | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 680 | #453 |
| 2024 | 795 | #399 |
| 2023 | 930 | #334 |
| 2022 | 1,099 | #288 |
| 2021 | 1,301 | #233 |
| 2020 | 1,472 | #199 |
| 2019 | 1,699 | #171 |
| 2018 | 1,884 | #150 |
| 2017 | 2,241 | #133 |
| 2016 | 2,680 | #119 |
| 2015 | 3,255 | #93 |
| 2014 | 3,849 | #76 |
| 2013 | 4,214 | #57 |
| 2012 | 5,091 | #44 |
| 2011 | 6,029 | #37 |
| 2010 | 6,993 | #21 |
| 2009 | 7,980 | #19 |
| 2008 | 9,653 | #16 |
| 2007 | 11,275 | #14 |
| 2006 | 10,177 | #19 |
| 2005 | 10,891 | #16 |
| 2004 | 12,109 | #14 |
| 2003 | 12,750 | #14 |
| 2002 | 12,847 | #12 |
| 2001 | 13,272 | #14 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Alyssa?
In official American birth records, the name Alyssa first appeared in 1950 (over 75 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 75 years.
Is Alyssa a popular girl name?
Alyssa ranked #453 among girls in 2025 with 680 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #93.
When was the name Alyssa most popular?
Alyssa peaked in 1999, when 14,036 American girls received the name (ranked #11 that year). Since 1999 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Alyssa?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,647 newborn American girls was named Alyssa. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.