Given name & surname
Alissa
“noble”·“kind”·“type”
Alissa is a variant of Alice. Alice’s older Germanic elements mean “noble” and “kind” or “type.” The connection with nobility belongs to the name’s linguistic roots.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Alissa is a variant of Alice. Alice’s older Germanic elements mean “noble” and “kind” or “type.” The connection with nobility belongs to the name’s linguistic roots.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Alissa is a variant of Alice. Alice developed through Old French from Adalheidis, the Germanic name also behind Adelaide.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English use, Alissa is used as a variant of Alicia. Alissa is a variant of Alice. The shared background comes through Alice: The longer Adalheidis was greatly shortened before reaching its Old French form. Alice and Adelaide therefore share an older source, even though they became distinct names.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1948. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Alissa is a variant of Alice. The history of Alice gives this family its wider story. Alice returned to wider use in the nineteenth century. Lewis Carroll’s two Alice stories gave it an enduring literary association; his heroine drew inspiration from Alice Liddell.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Alissa through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 38,622
- 31 boys · 38,591 girls
- Most popular year
- 1998
- 1,231 babies
- 2025
- 99
- #1,942 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −34%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 99 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,942 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 33.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,231 in 1998. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (21). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 34,758 as a first name in 2020; 247 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Alissa’s family of names
Alissa has a related form in Alicia. Alissa has an alternative spelling in Alyssa. In English usage, Alissa has a related form in Alyssa.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 5
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Alissa
- Alissa White-GluzCanadian singerborn 1985
- Alissa JungGerman actressborn 1981
- Alissa CzisnyAmerican figure skaterborn 1987
- Alissa JohnsonAmerican ski jumperborn 1987
- Alissa YorkCanadian writer (born 1970)
- Ali SkovbyeCanadian actressborn 2002
- Alissa J. RubinAmerican journalistborn 2000
- Alissa NuttingAmerican writerborn 1981
- Alissa PiliAmerican basketball player (born 2001)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Alissa, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Allyson
“the son of a noble” · “noble”
>99% girls
Clarissa
“fame”
>99% girls
Alicea
“noble” · “kind”
>99% girls
Alyson
“the son of a noble” · “noble”
>99% girls
Alysia
“noble” · “kind”
>99% girls
Ala
“noble” · “kind”
>99% girls
Alesha
“noble” · “kind”
>99% girls
Janessa
“God is gracious”
>99% girls