Larissa
Larissa is a female given name of Greek origin that is common in Eastern European nations of Orthodox church heritage. It is derived either from Larissa, a nymph in Greek mythology who was a daughter of Pelasgus, or from the name of the ancient city of Larissa in Greece which meant "citadel" or "fortress" in a now extinct Pre-Greek substrate language.
Meaning & Origin of Larissa
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Larissa is a female given name of Greek origin that is common in Eastern European nations of Orthodox church heritage. It is derived either from Larissa, a nymph in Greek mythology who was a daughter of Pelasgus, or from the name of the ancient city of Larissa in Greece which meant "citadel" or "fortress" in a now extinct Pre-Greek substrate language.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Larissa
Larissa first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1946, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1994, when 715 Larissas were born — ranking #363 that year. As of 2026, Larissa ranks #1,532 for baby girls with 140 births, gradually falling (-8%). In total, more than 24K Larissas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Larissa
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Saint Larissa (died c.375), early martyr venerated by the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches
- Larissa Behrendt (born 1969), Australian legal academic, writer, filmmaker and Indigenous rights advocate
- Larissa Burak (born 1968), Ukrainian-Australian bandurist and mezzo-soprano singer
- Larissa Crummer (born 1996), Australian footballer
- Larissa Fiallo (born 1983), Miss Dominican Republic in the 2004 Miss Universe pageant
- Larissa França (born 1982), Brazilian beach volleyball player
- Larissa Giddings (born 1972), Australian politician
- Larissa Iapichino (born 2002), Italian female long jumper
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Larissa
Phonetically similar names — useful when Larissa 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 Larissa
What does the name Larissa mean?
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In which U.S. states is Larissa most popular?
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About the name Larissa
Larissa is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1946 and has accumulated 24K births in the dataset. Larissa's peak popularity came in 1994 when it ranked #363. Use the chart and map above to compare Larissa's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1994 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "L" →
- 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.