Given name & surname · also Hebrew, Late Greek
Raisa
“as beautiful as the rose”·“one who is carefree”
Raisa is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “as beautiful as the rose” and “one who is carefree”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “as beautiful as the rose” and “one who is carefree”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with Hebrew and Greek naming traditions. The precise derivation is uncertain.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1962. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Raisa through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,322
- 0 boys · 1,322 girls
- Most popular year
- 1988
- 94 babies
- 2025
- 30
- #4,639 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +19%
- Rising
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 30 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 4,639 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 19.1% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 94 in 1988. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 5,712 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.
Raisa’s family of names
Raisa has an affectionate form in Raya. Raisa has a related form in Raiza. Raisa has a related form in Raissa.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Raisa has relatives in 3 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
3 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 15
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.
People named Raisa
- Raisa Gorbachevawife of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev (1932–1999)
- Raisa SmetaninaSoviet cross-country skierborn 1952
- Raisa Akhmatovapoet (1928–1992)
- RaisaIndonesian singer (1990-)
- Raisa AronovaSoviet aviator (1920-1982); Hero of the Soviet Union
- Raisa O'Farrill BolanosCuban volleyball player (1972–2023)
- Raisa KurvyakovaOlympic medalist in basketballborn 1945
- Raisa BohatyriovaUkrainian politicianborn 1953
- Raisa ObodovskayaSoviet cyclist (1948-2012)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Raisa, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“golden-haired woman”
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“a lighthearted woman”
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“resembling a lioness”
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“one who is hospitable; welcoming”
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