Brissa
A feminine given name derived from the Italian phrase "brezza marina" meaning "sea breeze".
Name Census estimates that about 2,717 living Americans carry the first name Brissa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Brissa today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Brissa births was 2010 (230 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Brissa. 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.
People living today
2.7K
~ 1 in 126,152 Americans
Peak year
2010
230 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,757
Tracked since 1979
Popularity
Brissa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Brissa from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 1,284 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Brissa 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 Brissa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Brissas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 12 states and territories. Texas, California, Arizona recorded the most babies named Brissa, while New York, Nevada, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 154 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Brissa
The name Brissa has its origins in the ancient Greek language, where it is believed to have been derived from the word "brizo," meaning "to nod off" or "to slumber." This connection suggests that the name may have been associated with a peaceful or serene nature.
In the early days, the name was primarily found in various regions of Greece, particularly in the Attica region and the island of Crete. Historical records indicate that Brissa was a relatively uncommon name during the Classical Greek period, but it gained some prominence in the Hellenistic era.
One of the earliest known references to the name Brissa can be found in the works of the ancient Greek poet Callimachus, who lived in the third century BC. In his poem "Hymn to Artemis," he mentions a character named Brissa, though little is known about her significance or role.
Throughout the centuries, the name Brissa has been carried by a few notable individuals. One of the most prominent bearers was Brissa of Cyrene, a Greek philosopher and mathematician who lived in the third century BC. She was a student of the renowned mathematician Conon of Samos and is credited with making significant contributions to the field of geometry.
Another historical figure with the name Brissa was a Greek actress who lived during the second century AD. She gained recognition for her performances in various theatrical productions in Athens and is mentioned in several ancient writings as a talented and celebrated performer.
In the Middle Ages, the name Brissa resurfaced in various regions of Europe, particularly in Italy and Spain. One notable bearer was Brissa di Montefalco, an Italian nun and mystic who lived in the 13th century. She is revered in some Catholic traditions for her pious life and reported miraculous experiences.
During the Renaissance period, the name Brissa appeared in the works of several Italian and Spanish writers, further contributing to its dissemination across Europe. One such individual was Brissa Della Rovere, an Italian noblewoman and patron of the arts who lived in the 15th century.
While the name Brissa has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has been carried by a few notable individuals who have left their mark in various fields, ranging from philosophy and mathematics to the arts and religious devotion.
People
Brissa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Brissa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Brissa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Brissa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,717 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Brissa 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 126,152 US residents.
Is Brissa a common name?
We classify Brissa as "Rare". It ranks above 94.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,757 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Brissa most popular?
The single biggest year for Brissa was 2010, when 230 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Brissa is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Brissa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Brissa 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.
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.