Alissa

Meaning & origin

Alissa is a modern respelling of Alicia that entered the U.S. naming pool in 1948. It reached its peak rank of 1,942 in 1997, a year when it was more commonly chosen than in recent decades; since 1998 its usage has been gradually falling. In 2025, approximately 1 in 16,235 newborn girls received the name, placing it well outside the top 1,000. Its strongest popularity has been in Arizona, Washington, and Texas, reflecting a regional preference in the Sun Belt and West Coast. The spelling distinguishes it from the more common Alyssa, which exploded in the 1990s, giving Alissa a quieter, more individualized feel. As a variant of the longstanding royal name Alice, it carries an air of old-fashioned nobility softened by a contemporary, phonetic look.

Alissa is a phonetic variant of Alicia, itself a Latinized form of Alice, derived from the Old French name Alis, a short form of Adelais (from Germanic Adalhaidis, composed of adal 'noble' and haid 'kind, sort'). It emerged as a distinct spelling in the mid-20th century, especially in the United States, likely influenced by names like Alyssa and Melissa.