Elissa
Girl name · #1847 in 2025 · Uniqueness 78/100
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, 1880–2025. 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?
Elissa scores 78 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 Elissa will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Elissa is most common
Geography matters for names, and Elissa is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Elissas were CA (24), TX (17), VA (7), FL (6). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
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. It scores 78/100 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.