Total births
1,098
Girls' name · since 1980
Jelisa
Since 1980, U.S. Social Security records show 1,098 babies named Jelisa, peaking in 1989. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #15824
- among girls today
- 1,098
- born since 1980
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 11%
- more common than other girls
1,098 babies have been named Jelisa since 1980, making it today's #15824 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Jelisa recorded 1,098 times among girls since 1980, holding rank #15824 nationally today, ahead of 11% of girls, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1980 to 2024.
- #15824 among girls today
- 1,098 born since 1980
- 1990s peak decade
- 11% more common than other girls
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Jelisa is currently the #15824 girls' name in America, more common than 11% of girls - 1,098 born since 1980, peaking in the 1990s.
- #15824
- among girls today
- 1,098
- born since 1980
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 11%
- more common than other girls
Jelisa vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#15824
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 11% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
55% of everyone ever named Jelisa was born in this single decade.
1989
Single peak year
145 babies were named Jelisa in 1989 - its busiest year on record.
How Jelisa compares
1,098 Top 30% higher than 70% 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
Jelisa's all-time total is 187% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Jelisa | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,098 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 145 | 48 | 19,840 |
Jelisa's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Jelisa's SSA record in two at 2000 and the more recent half accounts for 17% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 83%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1980, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1989 peak of 145, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Jelisa at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1989
Current rank
#15,824
Active since
1980
Jelisa popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1980–2024
- Peak year (1989)
- 145
- Annual births at peak, across 45 years of records
Jelisa by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Jelisa's strongest decade.
602 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 55% of all-time use.
Jelisa births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s
1980s
312 births
- 1990s
1990s
602 births
- 2000s 132
2000s
132 births
- 2010s 38
2010s
38 births
- 2020s 14
2020s
14 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 602 births (55% of all-time use).
How Jelisa 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 Jelisa's total volume
Jelisa vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Jelisa by state
Where Jelisa concentrates geographically, total births since 1980
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Illinois | | 65 | 5.9% |
| #2 | New York | | 65 | 5.9% |
| #3 | Texas | | 50 | 4.6% |
| #4 | Florida | | 45 | 4.1% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 44 | 4.0% |
| #6 | Mississippi | | 43 | 3.9% |
| #7 | Alabama | | 40 | 3.6% |
| #8 | California | | 30 | 2.7% |
Illinois share of Jelisa's total US births 5.9%
Even split
65 of 1,098 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 18 reporting states.
Jelisa appears in 18 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Jelisa? ▼
1,098 babies have been named Jelisa since 1980. It currently ranks #15824 among girls. The peak year was 1989 with 145 births.
When was Jelisa most popular? ▼
Jelisa was most popular in the 1990s decade with 602 total births. The single peak year was 1989.
Where is Jelisa most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Jelisa are Illinois (65 births), New York (65 births), Texas (50 births).
How long has the name Jelisa been used? ▼
Records for Jelisa go back to 1980, giving 45 years of history through 2024.
What names are similar to Jelisa? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Jelena, Jelani, Jelissa, Jelina, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Jelisa's data
- Jelisa's decade-level peak was the 1990s (602 total births); usage has since declined to 14 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Illinois records the most Jelisas (65 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Illinois 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 Jelisa
Nearby Names Like Jelisa
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Jelisa
Jelena Girl
#4409 1,633 births
Jelani Girl
#2161 942 births
Jelissa Girl
938 births
Jelina Girl
#15931 245 births
Jelicia Girl
131 births
Compare Jelisa side by side: Jelisa vs Jelena Jelisa vs Jelani Jelisa vs Jelissa
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Jelisa
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1980–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Jelisa: #15824 Girls' Name - 1,098 Births, Peak 1989." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/jelisa. 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 Jelisa 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 July 2026.