Fun Facts About the Name Calissa
- 910 babies named Calissa: U.S. records list 910 babies given the name Calissa from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Calissa Mean?
Calissa is an English feminine given name with no documented classical form of its own. It is usually treated as a variant of Calista, which comes from the Greek Kallistē (Καλλίστη), the feminine of kallistos, "most beautiful" - itself a superlative of kalos, "beautiful." Under that explanation the name would mean "most beautiful." A second, less common explanation connects it with Carissa, a name usually derived from Italian cara, "dear, beloved," and sometimes linked to Greek charis, "grace" or "favor." These two accounts do not agree, and nothing in the spelling of Calissa settles the question, so the meaning is best described as uncertain, with "most beautiful" the usual interpretation. The final -issa also appears in unrelated names such as Melissa, Larissa, and Clarissa, which share the sound but not the origin.
Calissa Name History & Origins
Calissa follows the pattern of Calista, an English name in use by the early 18th century, when Nicholas Rowe gave it to the heroine of his tragedy The Fair Penitent (1703). Calista continues the Greek Kallistē; the related masculine Kallistos was borne by Saint Callixtus I, a third-century pope and martyr, which kept the root familiar in Christian Europe, and the feminine Callista is also found in later European use. Rowe's choice of Calista is a literary use of the parent name, not the origin of Calissa.
Calissa itself is a modern English spelling that drops the t sound of Calista, and its -issa ending matches other English feminine names ending in that sound, such as Carissa and Alyssa. Because its path into use is not documented, it is generally described simply as a variant of Calista, and sometimes as a blend of Calista with Carissa or Alyssa.
How Popular is the Name Calissa?
Calissa has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2001. Its best rank was #2,862 in 1999.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #7,970 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2024 | #8,018 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2023 | #12,379 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #8,629 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2021 | #8,566 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2020 | #7,631 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 2019 | #8,689 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2018 | #5,342 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 2017 | #6,088 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 2016 | #8,064 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2015 | #4,509 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 2014 | #4,794 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 2013 | #3,720 | 41 | 0.0023% |
| 2012 | #5,132 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 2011 | #6,609 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2010 | #4,412 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 2009 | #3,808 | 41 | 0.0022% |
| 2008 | #4,374 | 35 | 0.0019% |
| 2007 | #3,659 | 44 | 0.0023% |
| 2006 | #4,012 | 37 | 0.0019% |
| 2005 | #3,599 | 41 | 0.0022% |
| 2004 | #3,913 | 36 | 0.0020% |
| 2003 | #4,695 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 2002 | #3,996 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 2001 | #2,930 | 49 | 0.0027% |
| 2000 | #4,201 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 1999 | #2,862 | 47 | 0.0026% |
| 1998 | #4,987 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1997 | #7,348 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1996 | #13,854 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #10,687 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1994 | #12,007 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1993 | #6,673 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1992 | #7,589 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1991 | #5,023 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1990 | #7,376 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1988 | #9,384 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #7,447 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1986 | #7,204 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1985 | #8,454 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #10,469 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #8,339 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1981 | #10,617 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #9,140 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #8,467 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1962 | #5,930 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Calissa Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are cheerful and friendly, but are apt to have an emotional life. You like to have several lines of effort going at once. You are a good talker and promoter and seldom worry over anything. At times, you can be impatient, and impulsive. You have the ability to bring an idea to completion. You can express yourself joyously and constructively. You might be psychic, but not know it. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Calissa's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Calissa's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.