Elissa
Girl name · #1847 in 2025 · Very rare
Elissa is currently the #1847 girl name in the United States — 108 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1394, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 16,667 girls born in 2025 was named Elissa.
Babies named Elissa per year. Source: SSA.
The 111-year story
Elissa first appears in the Social Security records in 1914, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1979, when 408 girls were named Elissa — good for #496 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. 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 Elissa against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Elissa in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Elissa is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Elissa will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Elissa is most common
State-level data for Elissa is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Elissa
Statistically, parents drawn to Elissa tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Alissa, Larissa, Elisha, Carissa, and Evelia.
AlissaLarissaElishaCarissaEveliaClarissaKarissaMarissa
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Elissa | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 108 | #1844 |
| 2024 | 140 | #1529 |
| 2023 | 150 | #1465 |
| 2022 | 160 | #1415 |
| 2021 | 164 | #1347 |
| 2020 | 164 | #1343 |
| 2019 | 213 | #1133 |
| 2018 | 183 | #1262 |
| 2017 | 166 | #1387 |
| 2016 | 166 | #1403 |
| 2015 | 169 | #1394 |
| 2014 | 242 | #1063 |
| 2013 | 235 | #1056 |
| 2012 | 298 | #887 |
| 2011 | 224 | #1096 |
| 2010 | 219 | #1122 |
| 2009 | 206 | #1211 |
| 2008 | 247 | #1057 |
| 2007 | 224 | #1145 |
| 2006 | 248 | #1033 |
| 2005 | 274 | #910 |
| 2004 | 279 | #881 |
| 2003 | 284 | #851 |
| 2002 | 299 | #787 |
| 2001 | 302 | #784 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Elissa a popular girl name?
Elissa ranked #1847 among girls in 2025 with 108 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1394.
When was the name Elissa most popular?
Elissa peaked in 1979, when 408 American girls received the name (ranked #496 that year). Since 1979 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Elissa?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 16,667 newborn American girls was named Elissa. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very 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.