Rissa
A feminine name perhaps related to Russian or Greek origin, meaning uncertain.
Name Census estimates that about 285 living Americans carry the first name Rissa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rissa today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rissa births was 2002 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rissa. 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
285
~ 1 in 1,202,647 Americans
Peak year
2002
12 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
2024 SSA rank
#14,872
Tracked since 1947
Popularity
Rissa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rissa from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 60 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Rissa remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rissa 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 Rissa 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 Rissa
The name Rissa has its origins in the Old Norse language and can be traced back to the Viking era in Scandinavia. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse word "risi" which means "giant" or "powerful one." Historically, the name was likely given to children with the intention of wishing them strength and resilience in life.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rissa can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, which are a collection of historical narratives that depict the lives of notable figures and events in medieval Iceland. In the Saga of Gisli the Outlaw, a character named Rissa is mentioned, though little is known about her beyond her name.
During the Viking Age, which spanned from the late 8th to the late 11th century, the name Rissa was likely used among the Norse populations in Scandinavia and the areas they explored and settled, such as Iceland, Greenland, and parts of modern-day Britain and France.
In more recent history, a few notable individuals have borne the name Rissa. One example is Rissa Kharpoutlian (1888-1949), an Armenian-American writer and activist who advocated for women's rights and Armenian independence.
Another notable Rissa was Rissa Kerguelen (1933-2017), a French artist and sculptor known for her abstract and minimalist works. Her sculptures can be found in numerous public spaces and museums throughout France.
In the field of literature, Rissa Green (1898-1972) was an American novelist and short story writer who gained recognition for her works exploring themes of family, relationships, and the experiences of women in the early 20th century.
Rissa Sander (1908-1994) was a German-born American painter and printmaker whose works were heavily influenced by her experiences during World War II and her subsequent immigration to the United States.
Lastly, Rissa Jones (1957-2009) was a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist who gained popularity in the folk music scene of the 1980s and 1990s, known for her poetic lyrics and intricate guitar work.
While the name Rissa may not be as common today as it once was, its historical roots and unique meaning have contributed to its enduring presence throughout the centuries.
People
Rissa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rissa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rissa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rissa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 285 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rissa 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 1,202,647 US residents.
Is Rissa a common name?
We classify Rissa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 313 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rissa most popular?
The single biggest year for Rissa was 2002, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rissa is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rissa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rissa 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.