Total births
18,033
Girls' name · since 1914
Elissa
Since 1914, U.S. Social Security records show 18,033 babies named Elissa, peaking in 1979. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1529
- among girls today
- 18,033
- born since 1914
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other girls
18,033 babies have been named Elissa since 1914, making it today's #1529 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Elissa has been recorded 18,033 times among girls since 1914, currently ranked #1529 nationally and more common than 91% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1914 to 2025.
- #1529 among girls today
- 18,033 born since 1914
- 1980s peak decade
- 91% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Elissa is currently the #1529 girls' name in America, more common than 91% of girls - 18,033 born since 1914, peaking in the 1980s.
- #1529
- among girls today
- 18,033
- born since 1914
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other girls
Elissa vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1529
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 91% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Elissa was born in this single decade.
1979
Single peak year
408 babies were named Elissa in 1979 - its busiest year on record.
How Elissa compares
18,033 Top 6% higher than 94% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Elissa's all-time total is 47x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Elissa | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 18,033 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 408 | 48 | 19,840 |
Elissa's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Elissa's full recorded timeline at 1973, 75% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 25% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1928, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1979 peak of 408 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Elissa at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1979
Current rank
#1,529
Active since
1914
Elissa popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1914–2025
- Peak year (1979)
- 408
- Annual births at peak, across 112 years of records
Elissa by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Elissa's strongest decade.
3,277 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Elissa births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 46
1910s
46 births
- 1920s 37
1920s
37 births
- 1930s 378
1930s
378 births
- 1940s 676
1940s
676 births
- 1950s 1,283
1950s
1,283 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,352 births
- 1970s
1970s
2,465 births
- 1980s
1980s
3,277 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,865 births
- 2000s
2000s
2,653 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,115 births
- 2020s 886
2020s
886 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 3,277 births (18% of all-time use).
How Elissa compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Elissa's total volume
Elissa vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Elissa by state
Where Elissa concentrates geographically, total births since 1914
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 2,429 | 13.5% |
| #2 | New York | | 2,416 | 13.4% |
| #3 | Texas | | 1,774 | 9.8% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 765 | 4.2% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 736 | 4.1% |
| #6 | Florida | | 621 | 3.4% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 580 | 3.2% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 572 | 3.2% |
California share of Elissa's total US births 13.5%
Even split
2,429 of 18,033 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 43 reporting states.
Elissa appears in 43 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Elissa? ▼
Since 1914, Social Security records show 18,033 babies named Elissa. Today it holds rank #1529 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1979, with 408 births.
When was Elissa most popular? ▼
Elissa was most popular in the 1980s decade with 3,277 total births. The single peak year was 1979.
Where is Elissa most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Elissa are California (2,429 births), New York (2,416 births), Texas (1,774 births).
How long has the name Elissa been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Elissa since 1914 -- 112 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Elissa? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Elizabeth, Eliana, Elise, Eliza, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Elissa's data
- Elissa's decade-level peak was the 1980s (3,277 total births); usage has since declined to 886 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Elissas (2,429 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Elissa
Nearby Names Like Elissa
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Elissa
Elizabeth Girl
#17 1,688,757 births
Eliana Girl
#18 76,104 births
Elise Girl
#251 75,186 births
Eliza Girl
#118 70,569 births
Elisabeth Girl
#908 48,018 births
Compare Elissa side by side: Elissa vs Elizabeth Elissa vs Eliana Elissa vs Elise
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Elissa
Aadya #1528
2,066 births · Peak 2020
Vivianne #1530
3,039 births · Peak 2018
Emori #1527
1,386 births · Peak 2024
Kaylynn #1531
12,252 births · Peak 2009
Laynee #1526
1,963 births · Peak 2024
Angely #1532
2,934 births · Peak 2008
Rori #1525
3,301 births · Peak 2022
Kalayah #1533
1,442 births · Peak 2024
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1914–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Elissa: #1529 Girls' Name - 18,033 Births, Peak 1979." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/elissa. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Elissa draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.