Elissa
3 syllables
♀ Female ◎ Modern American ◈ 3 syllables
"Noble"

From Modern American

Elissa means God's oath or wanderer — from the Hebrew Elizabeth or the Phoenician name for Queen Dido. Elissa/Dido founded Carthage — the most powerful city in the ancient Mediterranean. She drew the most clever boundary in history: she cut a bull's hide into strips to encircle an entire hill. Three syllables of Carthage-founding, the cleverest real-estate deal, and the queen who tricked a king with a bull's hide.

← All girl names
Elissa at a glance
MeaningNoble
OriginModern American
GenderFemale
Syllables3
NumerologyLife Path 2
US Rank (today)#1368
Google AdSense — 728×90
Why parents love Elissa
  • Elissa/Dido founded Carthage — one of the greatest ancient cities.
  • She cut a bull's hide into strips to claim maximum land.
  • Three syllables with a bright, classical sound: eh-LISS-ah.
  • The meaning wanderer/God's oath is dually powerful.
  • The most clever boundary in history.
The vibe of Elissa
God's oathwandererPhoenicianDidoCarthagebull's hidecleverest dealMediterranean
Origin & history of Elissa
Phoenician Elissa (wanderer) or Hebrew Elizabeth Elissa / Dido of Carthage
1
Modern American roots
Elissa is a Phoenician name meaning wanderer — the legendary name of Queen Dido who founded Carthage. She cut a bull's hide into thin strips to encircle an entire hill, claiming maximum land.
2
First recorded
Earliest known use: Phoenician; Dido/Elissa founded Carthage (c. 814 BC).
3
Today
Elissa remains a beloved choice, ranking #1368 in the US. 17,924 babies have been named Elissa since 1914.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, Oxford Dictionary of First Names, SSA data
How popular is Elissa?
1979 peak year
Today, Elissa is rarely chosen — ranked well outside the top 1,000 (around #1368), with only about 167 babies given the name per year. But it wasn't always this way. At its peak in 1979, 408 babies were given the name (ranked #496 nationally). Its strongest stretch was the 1980s. Elissa's usage has held roughly steady recently. In all, around 17,924 babies have been registered as Elissa since 1880.
Year-by-year registrations 1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
408 Babies named in peak year
(ranked #496)
167 Avg. per year
(last decade)
1,670 Total registrations
last 10 years
17,924 All-time total
(since 1880)
Popularity in the US today (rank #1,368) Moderate
→ Holding steady in recent years
📊 Check all names registered in the United States →
Numerology of Elissa
2
Life path number
The Peacemaker
Diplomacy, harmony and deep empathy.

Elissa's Life Path 8 is the achiever's number — Carthage-level achievement. People named Elissa tend to be clever, classical, and gifted at founding cities with a bull's hide.

Founds cities with bull's hide
Dido-of-Carthage
Cleverest boundary
Phoenician-wanderer
Mediterranean power
E5
L3
I9
S1
S1
A1
Sum: 20 → Life path 2
Personality of Elissa
🕊️
Peaceful
They bring calm to every room.
💞
Deeply loving
Their love runs deep and steady.
🎭
Intuitive
They read people with extraordinary accuracy.
🎵
Artistic soul
Beauty speaks to them powerfully.
Famous people named Elissa

Click any name to view their Wikipedia page.

Names that sound like Elissa

If you love Elissa, you might love these names with a similar sound, rhythm or feel.

Names that combine with Elissa

Sibling pairings that share the timeless, classic energy of Elissa.

Middle names for Elissa

The right middle name turns Elissa into a complete story. Explore options for first-and-middle pairings, then last-name flow.

Want a personalised middle name for Elissa? Try our dedicated generator with 1,000+ pairings.

♡ Generate middle name for Elissa →
Numerology life path calculator

Enter any full name and date of birth to discover the life path number — a core numerological indicator of personality, purpose and destiny.

First name
Middle name (optional)
Last name
Date of birth
7
Life path number

How we calculated this
Elissa is a beautiful choice.
Save it to your list, share it with your partner, or keep exploring.
← Browse all girl names
Google AdSense — 728×90