Given name & surname
Risa
“one who laughs often”
Risa is used as a given name and a surname. One Latin interpretation is “one who laughs often.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Latin interpretation is “one who laughs often.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Latin.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1942. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Risa through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,177
- 0 boys · 4,177 girls
- Most popular year
- 1962
- 131 babies
- 2025
- 22
- #5,675 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −26%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 22 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 5,675 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 26.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 131 in 1962. In 2025, New York and Texas shared the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (5 each). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 4,474 as a first name in 2020; 142 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Risa’s family of names
In Indonesian usage, Risa has a diminutive in ICA. Risa has a related form in Rise. Risa has a related form in Reesa.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Around the world
Risa has relatives in 3 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.
13 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Rysavariant
- Risevariant
- Reesavariant
- Icadiminutive · Indonesian
- Risakovariant
- Riesavariant
- Risehvariant
- Rysahvariant
Show 1 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 14
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Risa
- Risa ShimizuJapanese association football playerborn 1996
- LisaJapanese singer-songwriter (born 1987)
- Risa NiigakiJapanese female singer, stage actress and YouTuber (1988-)
- Risa TakashimaJapanese fencer (born 1999)
- Risa TanedaJapanese voice actress and singerborn 1988
- Risa ShinnabeJapanese volleyball playerborn 1990
- Risa WatayaJapanese writerborn 1984
- Risa NishiokaJapanese basketball player (born 1997)
- Risa ShimizuJapanese voice actressborn 1988
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Risa, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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