Elissia
Feminine name of Greek origin meaning "pledged to God".
Name Census estimates that about 281 living Americans carry the first name Elissia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Elissia today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Elissia births was 1999 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Elissia. 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
281
~ 1 in 1,219,766 Americans
Peak year
1999
15 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
2023 SSA rank
#11,474
Tracked since 1960
Popularity
Elissia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Elissia from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 88 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Elissia 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 Elissia 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 Elissia
The name Elissia has its origins in the ancient Greek language, and can be traced back to the 5th century BC. It is derived from the Greek word "elissein," which means "to wind" or "to twist." This could be a reference to the winding paths or rivers that were common in the Greek countryside.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Elissia was in a collection of Greek poetry from the 4th century BC. The poet Sappho, who lived on the island of Lesbos, wrote a poem dedicated to a woman named Elissia, praising her beauty and grace.
In the 2nd century AD, a woman named Elissia is mentioned in the writings of the Greek historian Plutarch. According to Plutarch, Elissia was a philosopher and teacher who lived in the city of Athens and was known for her wisdom and knowledge of the natural world.
During the Byzantine Empire, which lasted from the 4th to the 15th centuries, the name Elissia was popular among the Greek-speaking population. One notable figure from this time was Elissia of Thessaloniki, a nun who lived in the 9th century and was known for her charitable works and devotion to the Christian faith.
In the 12th century, a woman named Elissia was recorded as being a court poet in the court of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Comnenus. Her poetry was highly regarded at the time and she was known for her skill in crafting intricate and beautiful verses.
Another notable figure with the name Elissia was a Greek painter who lived in the 16th century on the island of Crete. Her paintings, which often depicted religious scenes and portraits, were highly prized and can still be found in museums and churches throughout Greece.
Throughout its long history, the name Elissia has been associated with beauty, grace, and creativity. While it may not be as common today as it once was, it remains a beautiful and unique name with deep roots in the ancient Greek culture.
People
Elissia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Elissia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Elissia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elissia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 281 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Elissia 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 1,219,766 US residents.
Is Elissia a common name?
We classify Elissia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 291 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Elissia most popular?
The single biggest year for Elissia was 1999, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Elissia is about 28 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Elissia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Elissia 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.