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Kerissa

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Kerissa

Pronounced kuh-RISS-uh /kəˈrɪs.ə/Medium

Meaning: Kerissa is a k-spelled variant of Carissa, a name built on the Greek 'charis', 'grace, kindness, charm', the root behind Charis and the word 'charisma'. The k opening modernizes the look and blends it with names like Kerry; the inherited meaning of 'grace' comes straight from the Carissa source.Low

In 30 seconds: Kerissa is a variant of Carissa, from the Greek for 'grace'. It was a soft, pretty pick from the mid-seventies with a modern k-spelling (said 'kuh-RISS-uh').

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Origin LowGreek

MeaningKerissa is a k-spelled variant of Carissa, a name built on the Greek 'charis', 'grace, kindness, charm', the root behind Charis and the word 'charisma'. The k opening modernizes the look and blends it with names like Kerry; the inherited meaning of 'grace' comes straight from the Carissa source.

U.S. rank (2019)#16807 ↘ Falling

2019 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1994

Total births (all-time)≈ 502

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

Kerissa respells Carissa, whose Greek root 'charis' means 'grace'. The k gives it a contemporary feel shared with Kerry and Karissa.

It appears from about 1975 and peaks faintly near 1994, thinning into the twenty-tens. It remained rare, a k-styled cousin of the more familiar Carissa and Marissa.

Did you know? The 'grace' behind Kerissa comes from the Greek 'charis', the same root that gives us 'charisma' - so the name links personal grace and magnetic charm in one word.

Overall data confidence 50%

References - Kerissa / Carissa — Variant of Carissa; Greek 'charis' grace

Variations

CarissaKarissaCharissaKerisa

Nicknames

RissaKeri

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Kerissa…

Carissa— the base name Kerissa respells

Karissa— a same-sound k-spelling of the name

Charissa— a fuller Greek form meaning 'grace'

Marissa— a rhyming '-issa' name of the same era

Explore names like Kerissa

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Kerissa mean?

Kerissa is a variant of Carissa, from the Greek 'charis' meaning 'grace'.

How do you pronounce Kerissa?

It's said kuh-RISS-uh /kəˈrɪs.ə/ - three syllables, stress on the middle.

Is Kerissa a boy or girl name?

Kerissa has been used as a girl's name.

How popular is Kerissa?

Kerissa has always been rare, a k-spelled take on Carissa seen from the mid-seventies.