Laurissa
A name of Latin and Greek origins meaning "laurel" or "sweet bay tree".
Name Census estimates that about 710 living Americans carry the first name Laurissa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Laurissa today is around 34 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Laurissa births was 1991 (29 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Laurissa. 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
710
~ 1 in 482,753 Americans
Peak year
1991
29 babies that year
Average age
34
years old
2019 SSA rank
#13,194
Tracked since 1962
Popularity
Laurissa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Laurissa from the 1960s through to the 2010s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 234 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
Laurissa 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 Laurissa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Laurissas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Laurissa, while New York, Texas, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 21 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Laurissa
The name Laurissa is a feminine given name with roots that can be traced back to ancient Latin and Greek origins. It is believed to be a variant of the name Laura, which itself is derived from the Latin word "laurus," meaning "laurel" or "bay tree." The laurel tree was a symbol of victory and honor in ancient Roman culture, and its leaves were used to create crowns for victors and heroes.
In the Greek language, the name Laurissa is closely related to the word "daphne," which also refers to the laurel tree. This connection to the laurel tree and its symbolic significance in ancient cultures suggests that the name Laurissa may have been associated with concepts of triumph, glory, and reverence in its early usage.
While the name Laurissa does not appear to have any direct historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its root name, Laura, has been recorded throughout various periods of history. One of the earliest known instances of the name Laura is in the 9th century, when a Spanish martyr named Laura was canonized by the Catholic Church.
Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the name Laurissa. One of the earliest recorded examples is Laurissa Landor (1805-1891), an English author and writer who was known for her poetry and novels. Another notable Laurissa was Laurissa Gemmill (1854-1928), a Scottish artist and painter who gained recognition for her landscape and portrait works.
In the 20th century, Laurissa Potts (1906-1989) was an American author and journalist who wrote several books on travel and culture. Laurissa Landre (1926-2019) was a Canadian actress and dancer who had a successful career on stage and television.
More recently, Laurissa Romain (born 1980) is a British actress and television presenter known for her roles in various British television series and films.
It is worth noting that while the name Laurissa has been used throughout history, it has never been among the most common or popular given names in any particular region or culture. However, its enduring presence and the rich symbolism associated with its roots in ancient Latin and Greek languages have contributed to its continued use as a unique and meaningful name choice.
People
Laurissa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Laurissa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Laurissa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Laurissa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 710 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Laurissa 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 482,753 US residents.
Is Laurissa a common name?
We classify Laurissa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 744 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Laurissa most popular?
The single biggest year for Laurissa was 1991, when 29 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Laurissa is about 34 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Laurissa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Laurissa 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.