Clarissa
How to say it: kluh-RISS-uh · /kləˈrɪsə/
Latinate elaboration of Clara, from Latin 'clarus' meaning 'bright, clear, famous'.
Clarissa was the 965th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 212 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1990s, its births are down about 47% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #1,260 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #965 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 212 |
| Share of births | 1 in 15,638 |
| Peak decade | 1990s |
| Change over 10 years | −47% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #1,260 |
| In France, 2025 | #2,541 among girls’ names, 5 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Popularity crested for Clarissa in the 1990s. Now well below that high and getting rarer, it looks set to slip further.
What goes with it
Four whispering syllables feel soft and breathy with gentle literary light. Serena shares its elegance as a sister.
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Clarissa is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese.
In France: #2,541 for girls in 2025.
Famous people named Clarissa
- Clarissa Pinkola Estés (born 1945)American psychoanalyst and writer
- Clarissa Ward (born 1980)American journalist
- Clarissa Chun (born 1981)American sport wrestler
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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