Given name & surname · also Greek
Larissa
“a lighthearted woman”
Larissa is used as a given name and a surname. One Latin interpretation is “a lighthearted woman.” Its derivation is not certain.
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Latin interpretation is “a lighthearted woman.” Its derivation is not certain.
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Greek, although the derivation remains uncertain.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1946. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Larissa through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 23,498
- 0 boys · 23,498 girls
- Most popular year
- 1994
- 715 babies
- 2025
- 126
- #1,646 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −14%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 126 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,646 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 14.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 715 in 1994. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (27). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 23,539 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.
Larissa’s family of names
In Portuguese usage, Larissa has a diminutive in Lara. In German usage, Larissa has a related form in Larisa. Larissa has a short form in Lara.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Larissa has relatives in 6 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.
6 related names in 6 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 11
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Laradiminutive · Portuguese, English
- Larisavariant · German
- Larrissalikely variant
- Laryssavariant · English
- Laurissavariant
- Lyssavariant
- Lorissavariant
- Lerissavariant
Show 3 moreShow fewer
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 Larissa
- AnittaBrazilian singer, songwriter, dancer and actressborn 1993
- Larissa RiquelmeParaguayan model and actressborn 1984
- Larissa ReissnerRussian writer, editor (1895–1926)
- Larissa ManoelaBrazilian actress and singerborn 2000
- Larissa WilsonEnglish actressborn 1989
- Larissa IapichinoItalian long jumperborn 2002
- Larissa PimentaBrazilian judokaborn 1999
- Larissa RamosBrazilian modelborn 1989
- Larissa FrançaBrazilian volleyball playerborn 1982
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Larissa, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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