Janissa

Meaning & origin

Janissa is a modern feminine name that first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1977. Its peak popularity came in 1994, before a gradual decline that has continued since 2001. By 2025 the name ranked 14,942, with about 1 in 321,453 newborn girls receiving it. The name is characteristic of a late 20th-century trend of creating elaborate feminine names by attaching the popular suffix -issa to a familiar root, in this case Jan- from Jane. While lacking deep historical roots, Janissa offers a distinctive sound that feels both familiar and fresh, fitting a pattern of similarly styled names that emerged in the 1970s and 1980s.

Janissa is a modern invented name, likely formed by blending the popular prefix Jan- (from names like Jana or Janice, which derive from Jane, the feminine form of John, meaning 'God is gracious') with the fashionable suffix -issa, similar to Clarissa or Marissa. It first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1977, fitting the late 20th-century trend of elaborate feminine names ending in -a. Its use has remained relatively rare.