Total births
120,842
Girls' name · since 1936
Marissa
120,842 babies named Marissa in U.S. Social Security records since 1936, with the highest year being 1994. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1495
- among girls today
- 120,842
- born since 1936
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
120,842 babies have been named Marissa since 1936, making it today's #1495 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Marissa recorded 120,842 times among girls since 1936, holding rank #1495 nationally today, ahead of 92% 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 1936 to 2025.
- #1495 among girls today
- 120,842 born since 1936
- 1990s peak decade
- 92% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Marissa is currently the #1495 girls' name in America, more common than 92% of girls - 120,842 born since 1936, peaking in the 1990s.
- #1495
- among girls today
- 120,842
- born since 1936
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
Marissa vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1495
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 92% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
42% of everyone ever named Marissa was born in this single decade.
1994
Single peak year
6,246 babies were named Marissa in 1994 - its busiest year on record.
How Marissa compares
120,842 Top 2% higher than 98% 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
Marissa's all-time total is 316x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Marissa | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 120,842 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 6,246 | 48 | 19,840 |
Marissa's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Marissa's SSA record in two at 1986 and the more recent half accounts for 85% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 15%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1936, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1994 peak of 6,246, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Marissa at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1994
Current rank
#1,495
Active since
1936
Marissa popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1936–2025
- Peak year (1994)
- 6,246
- Annual births at peak, across 90 years of records
Marissa popularity over time - boys
270 total births recorded since 1975 (Marissa as boys' name)
Marissa by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Marissa's strongest decade.
51,214 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 42% of all-time use.
Marissa births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 5
1930s
5 births
- 1940s 21
1940s
21 births
- 1950s 408
1950s
408 births
- 1960s 1,475
1960s
1,475 births
- 1970s 6,122
1970s
6,122 births
- 1980s
1980s
21,101 births
- 1990s
1990s
51,214 births
- 2000s
2000s
32,068 births
- 2010s 7,423
2010s
7,423 births
- 2020s 1,005
2020s
1,005 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 51,214 births (42% of all-time use).
How Marissa 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 Marissa's total volume
Marissa vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Marissa by state
Where Marissa concentrates geographically, total births since 1936
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 19,880 | 16.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 12,473 | 10.3% |
| #3 | New York | | 8,795 | 7.3% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 6,007 | 5.0% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 5,187 | 4.3% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 5,147 | 4.3% |
| #7 | Florida | | 4,837 | 4.0% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 4,331 | 3.6% |
California share of Marissa's total US births 16.5%
Even split
19,880 of 120,842 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Marissa appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Marissa? ▼
Marissa has been given to 120,842 babies in the U.S. since 1936, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #1495 as of the latest data. 6,246 babies were born in 1994, its single highest year.
When was Marissa most popular? ▼
Marissa was most popular in the 1990s decade with 51,214 total births. The single peak year was 1994.
Where is Marissa most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Marissa are California (19,880 births), Texas (12,473 births), New York (8,795 births).
How long has the name Marissa been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Marissa since 1936 -- 90 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Marissa? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Mary, Margaret, Maria, Martha, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Marissa's data
- Marissa's decade-level peak was the 1990s (51,214 total births); usage has since declined to 1,005 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Marissas (19,880 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 Marissa
Nearby Names Like Marissa
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Marissa
Mary Girl
#131 4,141,481 births
Margaret Girl
#119 1,264,774 births
Maria Girl
#74 566,111 births
Martha Girl
#666 551,741 births
Marie Girl
#632 540,077 births
Compare Marissa side by side: Marissa vs Mary Marissa vs Margaret Marissa vs Maria
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Marissa
Erica #1494
231,613 births · Peak 1986
Emryn #1496
1,005 births · Peak 2023
Elinor #1493
21,640 births · Peak 1920
Rosalynn #1497
3,533 births · Peak 2020
Theresa #1492
404,613 births · Peak 1961
Yuliana #1498
6,670 births · Peak 2007
Navi #1491
1,572 births · Peak 2025
Nami #1499
1,172 births · Peak 2025
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, 1936–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Marissa: #1495 Girls' Name - 120,842 Births, Peak 1994." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/marissa. 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 Marissa 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.