Given name
Alyssa
“noble”·“kind”·“type”
Alyssa 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
Alyssa 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
Alyssa 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, Alyssa is used as a spelling variant of Alissa. Alyssa 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 1950. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Alyssa 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
Alyssa through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 315,038
- 432 boys · 314,606 girls
- Most popular year
- 1999
- 14,050 babies
- 2025
- 680
- #453 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −52%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 680 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 453 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 51.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 14,036 in 1999. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (137). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 274,552 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Alyssa’s family of names
In English usage, Alyssa has a diminutive in Aly. Alyssa has a related form in Alicia. Alyssa has a related form in Alice.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 7
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 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Alyssa
- Alyssa MilanoAmerican actress (born 1972)
- Alyssa DiazAmerican film and television actress (born 1985)
- Alyssa NaeherAmerican soccer playerborn 1988
- Alyssa SutherlandAustralian actress and modelborn 1982
- Alyssa ThomasAmerican basketball player (born 1992)
- Alyssa CampanellaAmerican modelborn 1990
- Alyssa CarsonAmerican space enthusiastborn 2001
- Alyssa HealyAustralian cricketerborn 1990
- Alyssa MillerAmerican modelborn 1989
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Alyssa, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Allyson
“the son of a noble” · “noble”
>99% girls
Clarissa
“fame”
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Alyson
“the son of a noble” · “noble”
>99% girls
Alicea
“noble” · “kind”
>99% girls
Vanessa
“resembling a butterfly”
>99% girls
Janessa
“God is gracious”
>99% girls
Alysia
“noble” · “kind”
>99% girls
Ala
“noble” · “kind”
>99% girls