Lisa
Girl name · #987 in 2025 · Rare
Lisa is currently the #987 girl name in the United States — 256 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #754, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 7,031 girls born in 2025 was named Lisa.
Babies named Lisa per year. Source: SSA.
The 139-year story
Lisa first appears in the Social Security records in 1886, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1965, when 60,271 girls were named Lisa — good for #1 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 Lisa against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Lisa in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Lisa is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Lisa will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Lisa is most common
Geography matters for names, and Lisa is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Lisa is most common in NY (0.4 per 1,000), CA (0.3 per 1,000), IL (0.2 per 1,000), FL (0.2 per 1,000), TX (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Lisa is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Lisa
Statistically, parents drawn to Lisa tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Teresa, Alisa, Paula, Darla, and Carla.
TeresaAlisaPaulaDarlaCarlaLindaLoraLori
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Lisa | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 256 | #987 |
| 2024 | 264 | #984 |
| 2023 | 317 | #847 |
| 2022 | 290 | #930 |
| 2021 | 248 | #1024 |
| 2020 | 243 | #1031 |
| 2019 | 277 | #954 |
| 2018 | 308 | #877 |
| 2017 | 309 | #882 |
| 2016 | 346 | #829 |
| 2015 | 374 | #754 |
| 2014 | 378 | #740 |
| 2013 | 354 | #770 |
| 2012 | 398 | #706 |
| 2011 | 396 | #702 |
| 2010 | 396 | #712 |
| 2009 | 420 | #693 |
| 2008 | 510 | #603 |
| 2007 | 525 | #571 |
| 2006 | 609 | #500 |
| 2005 | 619 | #493 |
| 2004 | 710 | #427 |
| 2003 | 811 | #372 |
| 2002 | 830 | #359 |
| 2001 | 908 | #336 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Lisa a popular girl name?
Lisa ranked #987 among girls in 2025 with 256 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #754.
When was the name Lisa most popular?
Lisa peaked in 1965, when 60,271 American girls received the name (ranked #1 that year). Since 1965 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Lisa?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 7,031 newborn American girls was named Lisa. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it 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.