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Ilyssa
How to Pronounce Ilyssa
Pronounced ih-LIS-uh /ɪˈlɪs.ə/High
Meaning: Ilyssa is a spelling of Alyssa or Elissa. Alyssa is linked to the alyssum flower (from Greek a-, 'not', plus lyssa, 'madness', a plant once thought to cure rage), while Elissa is the Greek name of Dido, founder-queen of Carthage. Its meaning comes down through those parents.Low
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
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
Ilyssa is an I-spelled form of Alyssa or Elissa. Alyssa ties to the alyssum flower, from Greek meaning 'without madness', once thought to soothe rage; Elissa is the older Greek name for Dido, the founding queen of Carthage.
It stayed uncommon beside Alyssa and Elissa, with a small later crest around 2004 amid Alyssa's broader popularity. It reads as a spelling variant tied to those names, and it has stayed rare.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Ilyssa mean?
Ilyssa is a spelling of Alyssa or Elissa, tied to the alyssum flower or to the Greek Elissa (Dido).
How do you pronounce Ilyssa?
It's said ih-LIS-uh /ɪˈlɪs.ə/ — three syllables, stress on the middle.
Is Ilyssa a boy or girl name?
Ilyssa is used as a girl's name.
How popular is Ilyssa?
Ilyssa has always been rare, a spelling variant of the more familiar Alyssa and Elissa.