Alyssa Name Meaning: History, Popularity & Trends

What Does Alyssa Mean?

The name Alyssa has several different meanings depending on the origin you trace back. Most commonly, Alyssa means joy or great happiness.

In other origins, the name Alyssa can mean noble, truth, consecrated by God, or moon goddess. There are many variations of the moniker, and it stems from a wide range of cultures.

What is the Origin of the Name Alyssa?

We can trace the origin of the name Alyssa back to several roots, including:

• German
• Hebrew
• Greek
• Irish
• Arabic
• French

As mentioned above, each of these origins gives the name a different meaning.

In the Hebrew tradition, Alyssa means joy or great happiness. The Arabic tradition gives it the meaning of moon goddess, while the French tradition claims it as a variation of Elizabeth, which means consecrated by God.

But the deepest roots of the name go to Greek culture, where the name stems from Alice, which means noble.

Irish culture also translated the name Alice to Alyssa, meaning “of noble birth.”

How Popular is the Name Alyssa?

The name Alyssa rose in popularity in the United States around 1950.

There have been over 300,000 girls named Alyssa in the last 200 years, with the name peaking in popularity in the late 1980s. The highest rank the name ever reached was number 11 in the late 1990s.

The name has remained popular ever since, although it currently does not sit in the top 20 A names for girls in the United States ⁽¹⁾.

Instead, it ranks in the top 250 most popular names. While still a popular name for girls, the name has consistently dropped in popularity since the early 2000s.

How Do I Pronounce Alyssa?

Alyssa is a pretty straightforward name to pronounce. You pronounce Alyssa as uh-lis-uh.

Alternatively, some people pronounce Alyssa as uh-lee-sah.

The former pronunciation is more common.

Is Alyssa a Boy or Girl Name?

Alyssa is vastly recognized as a girl name. The masculine name Alessandro is similar in pronunciation if you love the name Alyssa but would prefer a more traditional boy name.

Variations of Alyssa

Alyssa is a beautiful name, but you might be looking for something a little different than the original.

These variations will give you some more options to consider:

• Alice (German)
• Alisa (Russian)
• Ally (Greek)
• Allyssa (Greek)
• Alyse (Greek)
• Elissa (Hebrew)
• Ilysa (German, Latin)
• Lyssa (Greek)

Nicknames for Alyssa

The name Alyssa is beautiful and easy to use on its own, but nicknames are still crucial to consider:

• Al
• Aly
• Alyss
• Ay
• Lyss
• Lyssa
• Lyssy

Similar Names to Alyssa

You might be interested in the name Alyssa, but it’s good to check out other names similar to this one.

These names can be similar both in pronunciation and meaning:

• Abigail
• Alecia
• Alex
• Alexa
• Alexandra
• Alicia
• Aliza
• Alyshia
• Carol
• Elizabeth
• Felicia
• Hillary
• Joy
• Merry
• Makenna

Middle Names for Alyssa

As if selecting a name for a child isn’t hard enough, you’re also expected to come up with a middle name!

Check out some of these middle names that go well with Alyssa:

• Ada
• Annabelle
• Farrah
• Gale
• Grace
• Jordan
• Joy
• Leigh
• Luna
• Marie
• May
• Naomi
• Paisley
• Rena

Sibling Names for Alyssa

If you’re planning for the future, you might want to pick out a couple of sibling names – both boy and girl names – that go well with Alyssa.

That might mean sticking with the first letter A or simply picking names that sound good together:

Boy Names:

• Alexander
• Andrew
• Anthony
• Bryan
• Caden
• Cody
• Elijah
• Jack
• Jason
• Lucas
• Ollie
• Thomas

Girl Names:

• Alex
• Andrea
• Avery
• Brynn
• Camille
• Cara
• Indigo
• Jessica
• Maggie
• Martha
• Olivia
• Paige

Famous People Named Alyssa

While choosing a name based on someone famous is unnecessary, it is fun to know that you share a name with someone of notoriety.

Here are a few famous people named Alyssa:

• Alyssa Farah Griffin: American Political Advisor.
• Alyssa Hyde: Youtuber.
• Alyssa McKay: Youtuber.
• Alyssa Milano: Actress.
• Alyssa Miller: American Model.
• Alyssa Naeher: U.S. Women’s Soccer Player.
• Alyssa Nakken: First full-time female MLB coach.
• Alyssa Rubino: Canadian Singer.
• Alyssa Sutherland: Australian Actress.
• Alyssa Wong: American Writer.

Alyssa in Popular Culture

Perhaps you’re not a fan of anyone in the celebrity world named Alyssa. Instead, try checking out these Alyssas from movies and television shows:

• Alyssa: Cartoon character from Mythix.
• Alyssa: Character from Vampire Gathering.
• Alyssa Moy: Character in Marvel Comics Fantastic Four.

Alyssa FAQs

Whether you’re unsure if you love the name Alyssa or just curious about the name, you’ve come to the right place. These frequently asked questions about Alyssa may help you out.