Elissa
Elissa is a feminine given name. It is the root of Elizabeth. Its popularity also derives from its use as an alternate name for the legendary Queen Dido.
Meaning & Origin of Elissa
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Elissa is a feminine given name. It is the root of Elizabeth. Its popularity also derives from its use as an alternate name for the legendary Queen Dido.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Elissa
Elissa first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1914, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1979, when 408 Elissas were born — ranking #496 that year. As of 2026, Elissa ranks #1,546 for baby girls with 138 births, falling sharply (-18%). In total, more than 18K Elissas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Elissa
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Dido , first Queen of Carthage, in some sources is referred to as Elissa
- Elissa (singer) (born 1971), birth name Elissar Khoury, Lebanese singer known by the mononym Elissa
- Elissa Aalto (1922–1994), Finnish architect and author
- Elissa Alarie (born 1986), Canadian rugby player
- Elissa P. Benedek (born 1936), American clinical psychiatrist and professor
- Elissa Blount Moorhead , American artist and writer
- Elissa Cameron , New Zealand wildlife biologist
- Elissa Cunane (born 2000), American basketball player
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Elissa
Phonetically similar names — useful when Elissa is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Elissa
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About the name Elissa
Elissa is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1914 and has accumulated 18K births in the dataset. Elissa's peak popularity came in 1979 when it ranked #496. Use the chart and map above to compare Elissa's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1979 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "E" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.