Felisia
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "happiness" or "good fortune".
Name Census estimates that about 233 living Americans carry the first name Felisia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Felisia today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Felisia births was 1974 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Felisia. 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
233
~ 1 in 1,471,049 Americans
Peak year
1974
16 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
2002 SSA rank
#16,289
Tracked since 1961
Popularity
Felisia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Felisia from the 1960s through to the 2000s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 102 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
Felisia 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 Felisia 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 Felisia
The name Felisia is a feminine given name of Greek origin, derived from the ancient Greek word "phelos," which means "beloved" or "dear." It is believed to have originated in the late classical period, around the 4th or 5th century AD, when Greek culture and language were still prevalent in parts of the Mediterranean region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Felisia can be found in the writings of the Byzantine historian Procopius of Caesarea, who lived in the 6th century AD. He mentioned a woman named Felisia who was a member of the imperial court in Constantinople during the reign of Emperor Justinian I.
In the medieval period, the name Felisia gained popularity among some Christian communities, particularly in parts of Italy and other regions influenced by Greek culture and language. It was sometimes associated with the concept of devotion or piety, as it shared a similar root with the Greek word "philia," meaning love or affection.
One notable historical figure who bore the name Felisia was Felisia of Pitzingen, a German nun and mystic who lived in the 13th century. She is known for her visions and spiritual writings, which were influential in the religious culture of her time.
Another Felisia of historical significance was Felisia de Guzmán, a Spanish noblewoman who lived in the 15th century. She was a prominent figure at the court of King John II of Castile and served as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Maria of Aragon.
In the 16th century, Felisia Nigrone was an Italian painter and engraver active in Ferrara, Italy. She was renowned for her religious artworks and was one of the few female artists of her time to achieve recognition.
During the Renaissance period, the name Felisia also appeared in the works of some notable writers and poets, such as the Italian poet Galeazzo di Tarsia, who dedicated a poem to a woman named Felisia in the late 15th century.
Over the centuries, the name Felisia has retained its connection to Greek culture and language, and it has been used by various families and communities across Europe and the Mediterranean region. While not as common as some other feminine names, Felisia has left a notable legacy in history, art, and literature.
People
Felisia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Felisia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Felisia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Felisia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 233 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Felisia 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 1,471,049 US residents.
Is Felisia a common name?
We classify Felisia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 258 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Felisia most popular?
The single biggest year for Felisia was 1974, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Felisia is about 49 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Felisia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Felisia 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.