Given name
Marisa
“woman of the sea”
In English use, Marisa is a variant of Marissa. One Latin interpretation is “woman of the sea.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Marisa is a variant of Marissa. One Latin interpretation is “woman of the sea.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Marisa is a variant of Marissa. An origin associated with Marissa is Latin.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1934. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Marisa through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 48,773
- 66 boys · 48,707 girls
- Most popular year
- 1995
- 2,198 babies
- 2025
- 25
- #5,178 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −50%
- Cooling
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 25 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 5,178 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 50.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 2,198 in 1995. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 48,703 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.
Marisa’s family of names
In Cebuano usage, Marisa has a diminutive in ISANG. Marisa shares a linguistic root with Marijse. In Italian usage, Marisa has a conventional equivalent in the German form Maria.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Marisa has relatives in 5 languages.
4 related names in 5 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 5
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.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Marisa
- Marisa TomeiAmerican actress (born 1964)
- MarizaPortuguese fado singer(born 16 December 1973)
- Marisa MillerAmerican modelborn 1978
- Marisa BerensonAmerican actress and model (b. 1947)
- Marisa MellAustrian actress (1939–1992)
- Marisa MonteBrazilian actressborn 1967
- Marisa AbelaEnglish actressborn 1996
- Marisa AllasioItalian actressborn 1936
- Marisa MerliniItalian actress (1923–2008)
Characters named Marisa: Mrs. Coulter (His Dark Materials character), Marisa Kirisame (Touhou Project).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Marisa, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Marina
“woman of the sea”
>99% girls
Maricia
“woman of the sea”
>99% girls
Marisol
“woman of the sea”
>99% girls
Maira
“star of the sea” · “from the sea of bitterness”
>99% girls
Marnina
“woman of the sea”
>99% girls
Marleah
“from the meadow near the lake”
>99% girls
Manica
“her mind is a jewel”
>99% girls
Marlea
“from the meadow near the lake” · “of the marshy meadow”
>99% girls