Elissa
Girl name · #1847 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Elissa? In official American birth records, Elissa has been tracked continuously since 1914, giving it 111 years of documented American history.
Elissa is currently the #1847 girl name in the United States — 108 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1394, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 16,667 girls born in 2025 was named Elissa.
Babies named Elissa per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 111-year story
Elissa first appears in the Social Security records in 1914, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1979, when 408 girls were named Elissa — good for #496 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Elissa against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Elissa in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Elissa is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Elissa will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Elissa is most common
State-level data for Elissa is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Elissa
Statistically, parents drawn to Elissa tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Alissa, Larissa, Elisha, Carissa, and Evelia.
AlissaLarissaElishaCarissaEveliaClarissaKarissaMarissa
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Elissa | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 108 | #1844 |
| 2024 | 140 | #1529 |
| 2023 | 150 | #1465 |
| 2022 | 160 | #1415 |
| 2021 | 164 | #1347 |
| 2020 | 164 | #1343 |
| 2019 | 213 | #1133 |
| 2018 | 183 | #1262 |
| 2017 | 166 | #1387 |
| 2016 | 166 | #1403 |
| 2015 | 169 | #1394 |
| 2014 | 242 | #1063 |
| 2013 | 235 | #1056 |
| 2012 | 298 | #887 |
| 2011 | 224 | #1096 |
| 2010 | 219 | #1122 |
| 2009 | 206 | #1211 |
| 2008 | 247 | #1057 |
| 2007 | 224 | #1145 |
| 2006 | 248 | #1033 |
| 2005 | 274 | #910 |
| 2004 | 279 | #881 |
| 2003 | 284 | #851 |
| 2002 | 299 | #787 |
| 2001 | 302 | #784 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Elissa?
In official American birth records, the name Elissa first appeared in 1914 (over 111 years ago), when 6 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 111 years.
Is Elissa a popular girl name?
Elissa ranked #1847 among girls in 2025 with 108 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1394.
When was the name Elissa most popular?
Elissa peaked in 1979, when 408 American girls received the name (ranked #496 that year). Since 1979 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Elissa?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 16,667 newborn American girls was named Elissa. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.