Girl · #12,120 in 2026

Lyssa

In Greek mythology, Lyssa, also called Lytta in Attic Greek, is a minor goddess and the spirit of rage, fury, and rabies in animals. In myth, Lyssa is often portrayed driving people insane and leading them to their doom, and would occasionally be portrayed as a dog.

Current Rank
#12,120
Peak Rank
#1,798 (1992)
Total Babies
1K
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1947
First Year
2024
Last Year
1992
Peak Year
#1798
Peak Rank
1K
Total Count
73
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Lyssa

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

In Greek mythology, Lyssa, also called Lytta in Attic Greek, is a minor goddess and the spirit of rage, fury, and rabies in animals. In myth, Lyssa is often portrayed driving people insane and leading them to their doom, and would occasionally be portrayed as a dog.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
The Greek noun λύσσα derives from the word λύκος ( lúkos ), meaning "wolf". Because seeds of alyssum were used (unsuccessfully) to treat rabies, the flower was named after the disease with the prefix α- in front, meaning without. Thus Lyssa is the etymological origin of the feminine name Alyssa .

The Story of Lyssa

Lyssa first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1947, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1992, when 80 Lyssas were born — ranking #1,798 that year. As of 2026, Lyssa ranks #12,120 for baby girls with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 1K Lyssas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Where is Lyssa most common?

Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.

  • Malaysia
    59%
  • Romania
    14%
  • Brazil
    10%
  • Singapore
    9%
  • United States
    8%

Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.

Names that sound like Lyssa

Phonetically similar names — useful when Lyssa 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 Lyssa

What does the name Lyssa mean?
In Greek mythology, Lyssa, also called Lytta in Attic Greek, is a minor goddess and the spirit of rage, fury, and rabies in animals. In myth, Lyssa is often portrayed driving people insane and leading them to their doom, and would occasionally be portrayed as a dog.
How popular is Lyssa in 2026?
In 2026, Lyssa ranks #12,120 among girls' names in the U.S., with 7 babies given the name that year.
When was Lyssa most popular?
Lyssa reached its peak popularity in 1992, ranking #1,798 that year with 80 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Lyssa most popular?
Lyssa has historically been most popular in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Lyssa.
Is Lyssa a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Lyssa is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Lyssa?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Lyssa include Larkin, Amberlee, Rumani. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Larkin
Peak #1798
👧
Amberlee
Peak #1798
👧
Rumani
Peak #1798
👧
Jerelene
Peak #1797
👧
Sylvania
Peak #1800
👧
Ragna
Peak #1800
👧
Jeannetta
Peak #1796
👧
Balbina
Peak #1800

About the name Lyssa

Lyssa is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1947 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Lyssa's peak popularity came in 1992 when it ranked #1,798. Use the chart and map above to compare Lyssa's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.