Given name
Nyssa
“a friendly elf”·“one who tests others”
Nyssa is a variant of Nissa. Interpretations include “a friendly elf” and “one who tests others”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Nyssa is a variant of Nissa. Interpretations include “a friendly elf” and “one who tests others”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Nyssa is a variant of Nissa. Nissa has been associated with Scandinavian and Hebrew naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1970. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Nyssa through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,830
- 0 boys · 1,830 girls
- Most popular year
- 2003
- 110 babies
- 2025
- 18
- #6,489 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −47%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 18 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 6,489 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 46.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 110 in 2003. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,569 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.
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 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.
Similar names
If you love Nyssa, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.