Gender | feminine |
---|---|
Origin | |
Word/name | Greek |
Meaning | Without rage/rabies |
Other names | |
Alternative spelling | Alysa, Alisa, Elissa, Alissa, Aylissa |
Alyssa is a feminine given name with multiple origins. Alysa is an alternative spelling.[1]
As used in Western countries, the name is usually derived from the name of the flower alyssum. The name of the flower derives from the Greek ἀ- a- ("not") and λύσσα lyssa ("mania, rabies"); the flower was formerly thought to cure skin diseases. It shares many variants in common with the name Alice and is occasionally considered a form of that name as well.[2]
Other equivalents of Alice include Alisa and Alissa. Elissa (Arabic: اليسار / ALA-LC: Alīssār; اليسا / Alīssā; عليسا ‘Alīssā; عليسة / ‘Alīssah) are variations of the name of Queen Elissa, the founder of Carthage, used in Middle Eastern countries.[3][4]
The name has been popular in the United States, where it ranked among the top 20 names between 2000 and 2009. The name's popularity declined steadily throughout the next decade, and by 2020 its rank had fallen to 199.[5]