Alissah
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "joyful, exalted, or supreme".
Name Census estimates that about 148 living Americans carry the first name Alissah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Alissah today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Alissah births was 2008 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Alissah. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
148
~ 1 in 2,315,908 Americans
Peak year
2008
13 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2021 SSA rank
#15,393
Tracked since 1994
Popularity
Alissah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Alissah from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 97 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Alissah by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Alissah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Alissah
The name Alissah is a variant of the name Alissa, which is believed to have originated from the Greek name Alesia. The name Alesia is derived from the Greek word "alētheia," meaning "truth" or "sincerity." This suggests that the name Alissah may have been associated with qualities such as honesty and truthfulness.
The earliest recorded use of the name Alissah can be traced back to the 19th century, particularly in English-speaking countries. It is possible that the name gained popularity during this period as a variation of the more common name Alicia or Alison.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Alissah was Alissah Lomax, an American singer and songwriter born in 1964. She is best known for her work in the genres of R&B and soul music.
Another prominent figure with the name Alissah is Alissah Brooks, an American basketball player born in 1983. She played professionally in the WNBA for teams such as the Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks.
In the literary world, Alissah Elinor Baker is an American writer and poet born in 1980. Her works often explore themes of identity, feminism, and the experiences of marginalized communities.
Alissah Al-Hilli is a British woman who gained public attention after her family was involved in a tragic shooting incident in France in 2012. She survived the attack, which claimed the lives of her parents and grandmother.
Alissah Kumalasari is an Indonesian actress and model born in 1995. She has appeared in various television shows and films in Indonesia and has gained a significant following in the country's entertainment industry.
While the name Alissah is not as common as some other variations, it has been embraced by individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Its roots in the Greek language and its association with truthfulness and sincerity have likely contributed to its enduring appeal.
People
Alissah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Alissah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Alissah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Alissah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 148 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Alissah going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,315,908 US residents.
Is Alissah a common name?
We classify Alissah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 150 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Alissah most popular?
The single biggest year for Alissah was 2008, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Alissah is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Alissah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Alissah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Alissah in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Alissah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Alissah in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Alissah can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Alissah?
See how many people have the name Alissah on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.