Maryssa
A feminine name of unknown origin, possibly combining Mary and a Teutonic element.
Name Census estimates that about 1,628 living Americans carry the first name Maryssa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Maryssa today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Maryssa births was 1997 (98 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Maryssa. 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
1.6K
~ 1 in 210,537 Americans
Peak year
1997
98 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2022 SSA rank
#14,690
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Maryssa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Maryssa from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 798 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
Maryssa 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 Maryssa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Maryssas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 15 states and territories. California, Texas, Ohio recorded the most babies named Maryssa, while Tennessee, Oregon, New Mexico recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 38 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Maryssa
The name Maryssa is derived from the ancient Greek name Maria, which was a vernacular form of the Hebrew name Miryam. Miryam is believed to have originated from the Hebrew root words "mar" meaning "bitter" or "beloved," and "yam" meaning "sea." The name Maria gained widespread popularity in the Christian world due to its association with the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.
Maryssa is a variant spelling of the name Maria, likely emerging in the Middle Ages as a result of regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions. It was most commonly used in regions with strong French or German linguistic influences, where the additional "y" and "ss" were incorporated into the spelling.
While there are no definitive historical records of the first use of the name Maryssa, it is believed to have been in use as early as the 12th or 13th century in certain parts of Europe. Some of the earliest recorded examples of the name can be found in medieval records and documents from regions such as France, Germany, and the Low Countries.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Maryssa. One of the earliest recorded instances is Maryssa de Montfort (c. 1200-1252), a French noblewoman and the daughter of Simon de Montfort, a prominent leader during the Albigensian Crusade. Another notable figure was Maryssa von Habsburg (1505-1558), a German princess and Archduchess of Austria, who was the daughter of Emperor Maximilian I.
In the 16th century, Maryssa Schöffer (1530-1590) was a German printer and publisher who played a significant role in the development of the printing industry in Mainz. During the Renaissance period, Maryssa Gozzadini (1564-1623) was an Italian painter known for her religious works and portraits, and she was one of the few female artists to achieve recognition during her lifetime.
In more recent history, Maryssa Naud (1887-1982) was a Canadian novelist and playwright who made significant contributions to the literary scene in Quebec during the early 20th century.
While the name Maryssa has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has maintained a presence across various cultures and time periods, often associated with notable figures in literature, art, and nobility. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Hebrew and Greek languages, reflecting the rich historical and cultural influences that have shaped the evolution of this name.
People
Maryssa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Maryssa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Maryssa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Maryssa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,628 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Maryssa 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 210,537 US residents.
Is Maryssa a common name?
We classify Maryssa as "Rare". It ranks above 92.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,670 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Maryssa most popular?
The single biggest year for Maryssa was 1997, when 98 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Maryssa is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Maryssa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Maryssa 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.