Carissa
Girl name · #3350 in 2025 · Uniqueness 89/100
Carissa ranks #3350 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 46 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1411, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 39,130 girls born in 2025 was named Carissa.
The 76-year story
Carissa first appears in the Social Security records in 1949, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1992, when 1,155 girls were named Carissa — good for #240 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.
Babies named Carissa per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Carissa against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Carissa in class?
Carissa scores 89 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Carissa will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Carissa is most common
State-level data for Carissa is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Carissa
Statistically, parents drawn to Carissa tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Karissa, Larissa, Clarissa, Alissa, and Marissa.
KarissaLarissaClarissaAlissaMarissaCorinaElissaLeandra
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Carissa | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 46 | #3342 |
| 2024 | 45 | #3459 |
| 2023 | 57 | #2936 |
| 2022 | 50 | #3220 |
| 2021 | 71 | #2484 |
| 2020 | 90 | #2050 |
| 2019 | 84 | #2193 |
| 2018 | 98 | #1997 |
| 2017 | 131 | #1643 |
| 2016 | 128 | #1667 |
| 2015 | 164 | #1411 |
| 2014 | 167 | #1382 |
| 2013 | 211 | #1138 |
| 2012 | 265 | #958 |
| 2011 | 285 | #914 |
| 2010 | 324 | #827 |
| 2009 | 326 | #854 |
| 2008 | 408 | #730 |
| 2007 | 477 | #625 |
| 2006 | 502 | #583 |
| 2005 | 497 | #578 |
| 2004 | 625 | #471 |
| 2003 | 648 | #461 |
| 2002 | 692 | #420 |
| 2001 | 708 | #410 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Carissa a popular girl name?
Carissa ranked #3350 among girls in 2025 with 46 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1411.
When was the name Carissa most popular?
Carissa peaked in 1992, when 1,155 American girls received the name (ranked #240 that year). Since 1992 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Carissa?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 39,130 newborn American girls was named Carissa. It scores 89/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.