Clarissa
Girl name · English · Greek · Italian · Latin
Meaningbright, clear · Latin
- US rank
- #1,113
- Syllables
- 3
- Peak
- #237 in 1994
212 babies were named Clarissa in the US in 2025. It has dropped 202 places in five years.
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Clarissa you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Clarissa
Clarissa Pinkola Estés
American psychoanalyst and writer
Choose Clarissa and your child shares a first name with Clarissa Pinkola Estés, an American psychoanalyst and writer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Clarissa, like who?” Clarissa Pinkola Estés's Wikipedia article is available in 36 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Clarissa Pinkola Estés on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)- How commonAbout 1 in every 7,582 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Clarissa, 212 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Clarissa would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryClarissa has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Clarissas, and counting.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1994, when it ranked #237. Today it's #1,113, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowClarissa was 4.1× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 1,863 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 7,582.
- TrendClarissa has slipped 202 places over the last five years and now sits at #1,113. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedClarissa is most popular in California, where it ranks #565, followed by Arizona (#676) and Texas (#742). It's in the top 1,000 in 5 states.
- MeaningIn Latin, Clarissa means “bright, clear”. Our records link it to English, Greek and Italian roots.
About the name Clarissa
Clarissa is a girl name of English, Greek and Italian origin meaning “bright, clear”. It has 8 letters and 3 syllables, starting with C and ending in “-ssa”. US birth records list Clarissa for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 145 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1994, when it ranked #237 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #1,113, with 212 babies.
Origin:English namesGreek namesItalian namesLatin names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 100 | 9,964 girls |
| 1890s | 100 | 10,018 girls |
| 1900s | 87 | 11,453 girls |
| 1910s | 74 | 13,585 girls |
| 1920s | 55 | 18,054 girls |
| 1930s | 48 | 20,807 girls |
| 1940s | 47 | 21,413 girls |
| 1950s | 72 | 13,848 girls |
| 1960s | 128 | 7,794 girls |
| 1970s | 226 | 4,433 girls |
| 1980s | 370 | 2,703 girls |
| 1990s | 590 | 1,695 girls |
| 2000s | 411 | 2,436 girls |
| 2010s | 244 | 4,105 girls |
| 2020s | 148 | 6,765 girls |
Other spellings of Clarissa
More English girl names
- Girl name: Olivia · olive tree
- Girl name: Charlotte · free
- Unisex name: Harper · harp player
- Girl name: Elizabeth · God is my oath
- Girl name: Lily · lily flower
- Girl name: Lucy · light
- Girl name: Lainey · possibly light
- Girl name: Scarlett · scarlet red
Questions about the name Clarissa
What does the name Clarissa mean?
Clarissa means “bright, clear” in Latin.
What is the origin of the name Clarissa?
Clarissa has English, Greek, Italian, Latin roots in our records. Other English names include Olivia, Charlotte, Harper.
Is Clarissa a boy or girl name?
Clarissa is a girl name.
How popular is the name Clarissa?
Clarissa ranked #1,113 for US girls in 2025, given to 212 babies. Its best year was 1994 (#237).