Declining since 2006, #7,885 for girls today.
Popularity of Kalissa since 1976
Babies named Kalissa per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 6 |
| 1980s | 57 |
| 1990s | 153 |
| 2000s | 518 |
| 2010s | 290 |
| 2020s | 77 |
Meaning & origin
Kalissa is a modern invented name that first appeared in the United States in 1976. It reached its peak popularity in 2007, but has been declining in use since 2006. As of 2025, it ranked 7,885 with an occurrence rate of about 1 in every 123,636 births. The name has not been recorded in any top states, indicating its rarity and scattered use. Its etymology is uncertain, but it likely draws from the popular Kal- prefix that emerged in the late 20th century, blended with the classic suffix -issa seen in Melissa or Clarissa. Kalissa remains a distinctive and uncommon choice.
Kalissa first appeared in the United States in the 1970s, during a period when creative respellings and invented names gained popularity. It likely follows the pattern of names like Melissa or Clarissa, substituting the initial sound with Kal- , a fashionable prefix also seen in Kaleigh and Kaitlyn. The name has no known historical or linguistic roots in any established language.
“Kalissa” around the world
Where Kalissa lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
10
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Kali, Lissa, Kal
Sibling names for Kalissa
Names that share Kalissa's style, for a brother or sister.
