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Home › Baby Names Directory › Edessa

Edessa

♀ Girl

Pronounced eh-DESS-uh /ɛˈdɛs.ə/Medium

Meaning: A place name: Edessa was an ancient city in upper Mesopotamia (today Sanliurfa, in Turkey) and is also a town in Greek Macedonia known for its waterfalls. The name is thought to be pre-Greek, possibly linked to a word for 'water', and has no fixed personal-name meaning; used as a given name it is chosen for its history and sound.Low

In 30 seconds: A city carried into a name: Edessa was an ancient town of Mesopotamia and of Greek Macedonia (said 'eh-DESS-uh'). A place name, which we note.
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Origin LowGreek, Macedonian
MeaningA place name: Edessa was an ancient city in upper Mesopotamia (today Sanliurfa, in Turkey) and is also a town in Greek Macedonia known for its waterfalls. The name is thought to be pre-Greek, possibly linked to a word for 'water', and has no fixed personal-name meaning; used as a given name it is chosen for its history and sound.
U.S. rank (2024)#13908 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1917
Total births (all-time)≈ 67

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 201819172024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Edessa is an ancient city name. The Mesopotamian Edessa (now Sanliurfa) was a crossroads of Greek, Syriac and Armenian learning; the Macedonian Edessa is a Greek town famed for its cascades, its name perhaps rooted in an old word for water. As a personal name it is a modern place-name pick, noted respectfully, and rhymes neatly with Odessa and Vanessa (said 'eh-DESS-uh').

It appears only rarely for girls in the U.S. Rare, historic, and softly rolling.

Did you know? Two Edessas share the name — one an ancient center of learning in upper Mesopotamia, the other a waterfall town in Greek Macedonia whose name may hint at 'water'. As a given name, Edessa is a place name borrowed respectfully for its old, rolling sound (said 'eh-DESS-uh').
Overall data confidence 50%
References — Edessa — Ancient city, Mesopotamia and Greek Macedonia; place name

Variations

OdessaEdesa

Nicknames

EddieEssaDessa

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Edessa…

Odessa— the closest place-name rhyme
Vanessa— a like flowing -essa name
Marissa— a like soft three-beat pick
Larissa— a like Greek-touched choice

Explore names like Edessa

By themegreekplace-namehistoric
By meaningSea / WaterGift / Blessing

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Edessa mean?

Edessa is a place name — an ancient city in Mesopotamia and a town in Greek Macedonia; it has no fixed personal-name meaning, which we note.

How do you pronounce Edessa?

It's said eh-DESS-uh /ɛˈdɛs.ə/ — three syllables, stress on the second.

Is Edessa a boy or girl name?

Edessa is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Edessa?

Edessa is a rare name for girls in the U.S.

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