Arnissa
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly deriving from Arabic roots.
Name Census estimates that about 32 living Americans carry the first name Arnissa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Arnissa today is around 52 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arnissa births was 1971 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arnissa. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Arnissa. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
32
~ 1 in 10,711,073 Americans
Peak year
1971
10 babies that year
Average age
52
years old
1994 SSA rank
#13,631
Tracked since 1967
Popularity
Arnissa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Arnissa from the 1960s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 20 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Arnissa by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Arnissa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Arnissa
The given name Arnissa has its origins in the Greek language and culture, with its roots dating back to ancient times. It is believed to be a feminine form of the Greek name Arnis, which is derived from the Greek word "arnos," meaning "lamb."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Arnissa can be found in ancient Greek literature, where it was used as a poetic reference to a gentle and innocent woman, often likened to a lamb in her demeanor. This association with purity and gentleness has carried through the centuries, making Arnissa a popular choice for parents seeking a name with a soft and endearing quality.
In the realm of historical figures, Arnissa was the name of a Greek princess from the 4th century BC, who was renowned for her beauty and grace. She was the daughter of King Amyntas III of Macedon and was married to the powerful general Ptolemy I Soter, one of the successors of Alexander the Great.
Another notable bearer of the name was Arnissa of Patra, a Christian martyr from the 3rd century AD. She was reportedly executed for her unwavering faith during the persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Diocletian. Her story of courage and devotion has been celebrated in various religious texts and hagiographies.
In the Middle Ages, Arnissa was the name of a prominent Byzantine noblewoman who lived in the 11th century. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her influential role in the court of the Byzantine Empire.
During the Renaissance period, Arnissa Baldi (1501-1568) was an Italian poet and scholar who gained recognition for her literary works and contributions to the cultural and intellectual circles of her time.
Fast-forwarding to more recent history, Arnissa Arida (born 1987) is a Filipino actress and model who has appeared in numerous television shows and films, showcasing the enduring popularity of the name in various cultures.
People
Arnissa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arnissa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Arnissa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arnissa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 32 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arnissa going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 10,711,073 US residents.
Is Arnissa a common name?
We classify Arnissa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 47.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 36 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Arnissa most popular?
The single biggest year for Arnissa was 1971, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arnissa is about 52 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Arnissa in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Arnissa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Arnissa in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Arnissa still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Arnissa in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Arnissa can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Arnissa as a first name?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Arnissa, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.