Clarissa is a girl name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Clarissa means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Clarissa across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Clarissa has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Clarissa is a girl name of Latin origin meaning “bright, clear, famous”. An elaborated Latinate form of Clara.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 40,505 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 839 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 18 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 13 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 40 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Clarissa per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1995 (1,201/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (78/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1992 (6/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2005 (5/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1998 (4/yr).
Clarissa has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1995, when it ranked #486 nationally (given to 1,205 babies that year).
Clarice · Clarisa · Claris · Klarissa · Clarise · Clariece · Clarsie · Clarisse
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