Given name & surname
Anissa
“one who is affectionate and friendly”
Anissa is a variant of Anisa. One Arabic interpretation is “one who is affectionate and friendly.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Anissa is a variant of Anisa. One Arabic interpretation is “one who is affectionate and friendly.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Anissa is a variant of Anisa. An origin associated with Anisa is Arabic.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1966. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Anissa through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 12,503
- 5 boys · 12,498 girls
- Most popular year
- 1971
- 729 babies
- 2025
- 53
- #3,071 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −33%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 53 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 3,071 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 32.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 724 in 1971. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (12). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 10,369 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.
Anissa’s family of names
Anissa has a related form in Anisa. In Greek usage, Anissa as a surname is a transliteration of Ανίσσα.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Anissa
- Anisa MakhloufSyrian politician1930–2016
- Anissa JonesAmerican actress (1958-1976)
- Anissa LahmariMoroccan, Algerian and French association football playerborn 1997
- Anissa DaoudFrench-Tunisian actress, film director and producerborn 1971
- Anissa KhelfaouiAlgerian fencerborn 1991
- Anissa MeksenFrench kickboxerborn 1988
- Anissa HassounaEgyptian politician (1953-2022)
- Anissa UrtezAmerican softball player and coachborn 1995
- Anissa Tannfootballerborn 1967
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Anissa, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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