Girl · #13,427 in 2026

Nerissa

Name: Popularity of the name Nerissa in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Nerissa, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Nerissa is a feminine given name, and may refer to:Nerissa Bowes-Lyon (1919–1986), cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, subject of the Channel 4 documentary "The Queen's Hidden Cousins" Nerissa Bretania Underwood, Guamanian politician Nerissa Brockenburr Stickney (1913–1960), American pianist Nerissa Chesterfield, British political aide Nerissa Corazon Soon-Ruiz, Filipino politician Nerissa Nields,…

Literature

Current Rank

#13,427

Peak Rank

#1,569 (1979)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1915

First Year

2024

Last Year

1979

Peak Year

#1569

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Nerissa

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

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

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

Literature

The Story of Nerissa

Nerissa first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1915, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1979, when 73 Nerissas were born — ranking #1,569 that year. As of 2026, Nerissa ranks #13,427 for baby girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 2K Nerissas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Nerissa

Phonetically similar names — useful when Nerissa is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Nissa
Nyssa
Merissa
Orissa
Nessa
Nesa
Narus
Nasa
Nervosa
Nisa
Nassa
Nosa

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Nerissa

What does the name Nerissa mean?

What is the origin of the name Nerissa?

Nerissa has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Literature.

How popular is Nerissa in 2026?

In 2026, Nerissa ranks #13,427 among girls' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.

When was Nerissa most popular?

Nerissa reached its peak popularity in 1979, ranking #1,569 that year with 73 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Nerissa most popular?

Nerissa has historically been most popular in North Carolina, Michigan, Washington. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Nerissa.

Is Nerissa a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Nerissa is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Nerissa?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Nerissa include Teddie, Arlayne, Nacole. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Nerissa

Nerissa is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1915 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Nerissa's peak popularity came in 1979 when it ranked #1,569. Use the chart and map above to compare Nerissa'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.