Total births
169
Girls' name · since 1974
Nelissa
169 babies named Nelissa in U.S. Social Security records since 1974, with the highest year being 1987. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 169
- total births
- 1974–2013
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 37%
- born in that decade
169 girls have been named Nelissa since 1974, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Social Security Administration records show Nelissa recorded 169 times among girls since 1974, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1974 to 2013.
- 169 total births
- 1974–2013 years on record
- 1980s peak decade
- 37% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
169 girls have been named Nelissa since 1974, peaking in the 1980s, last recorded in 2013.
- 169
- total births
- 1974–2013
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 37%
- born in that decade
1980s
Peak decade
37% of everyone ever named Nelissa was born in this single decade.
1987
Single peak year
12 babies were named Nelissa in 1987 - its busiest year on record.
Nelissa's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Nelissa splits its recorded history at 1988: 46% of all births land in the more recent half, 54% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1974 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1987 peak of 12 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Nelissa at a glance
Last recorded 2013Peak year
1987
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1974
Nelissa popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1974–2013
- Peak year (1987)
- 12
- Annual births at peak, across 40 years of records
Nelissa by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Nelissa's strongest decade.
63 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 37% of all-time use.
Nelissa births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s
1970s
33 births
- 1980s
1980s
63 births
- 1990s
1990s
39 births
- 2000s
2000s
29 births
- 2010s 5
2010s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 63 births (37% of all-time use).
Nelissa by state
Where Nelissa concentrates geographically, total births since 1974
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 5 | 3.0% |
New York share of Nelissa's total US births 3.0%
5 of 169 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nelissa? ▼
169 babies have been named Nelissa since 1974. It was last recorded in 2013. The peak year was 1987 with 12 births.
When was Nelissa most popular? ▼
Nelissa was most popular in the 1980s decade with 63 total births. The single peak year was 1987.
Where is Nelissa most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nelissa are New York (5 births).
How long has the name Nelissa been used? ▼
Nelissa has been recorded in Social Security data since 1974, spanning 40 years of data through 2013.
What names are similar to Nelissa? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nellie, Nell, Nelda, Nelly, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Nelissa's data
- Nelissa's decade-level peak was the 1980s (63 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Nelissas (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Nelissa
Nearby Names Like Nelissa
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nelissa
Nellie Girl
#521 152,691 births
Nell Girl
#1457 27,612 births
Nelda Girl
#8966 20,139 births
Nelly Girl
#1360 7,792 births
Nelle Girl
#5022 5,794 births
Compare Nelissa side by side: Nelissa vs Nellie Nelissa vs Nell Nelissa vs Nelda
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1974–2013 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nelissa: Baby Name Since 1974 - 169 Births, Peak 1987." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nelissa. 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 Nelissa 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.