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Narissa

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Narissa

Pronounced nuh-RISS-uh /nəˈrɪsə/Medium

Meaning: Narissa reads as a soft reshaping of Nerissa, the Shakespearean name usually traced to Greek roots for the sea, crossed with the popular Marissa. It is best understood as a late-century American vowel-play on those parent names rather than a separate ancient word.Low

In 30 seconds: Narissa is a gentle respelling that borrows from Nerissa and Marissa, sea-linked names. It stayed genuinely rare in America, drifting along at only a couple dozen girls a year (said nuh-RISS-uh).

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Origin LowEnglish, Greek

MeaningNarissa reads as a soft reshaping of Nerissa, the Shakespearean name usually traced to Greek roots for the sea, crossed with the popular Marissa. It is best understood as a late-century American vowel-play on those parent names rather than a separate ancient word.

U.S. rank (2022)#13178 ↗ Rising

2022 U.S. births7 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2003

Total births (all-time)≈ 784

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

Narissa is one of the flowing three-syllable girl names American parents coined by nudging the vowels of an existing favorite. Its likeliest parents are Nerissa, tied to Greek nereis for a sea-nymph, and the widely used Marissa.

It never gathered a crowd: only a few dozen girls a year carried Narissa across its long, thin run, with a modest crest in the early two-thousands. A girl named Narissa at that point is barely out of her teens now, and the name still surfaces only in small numbers.

Did you know? Narissa shares its bones with Nerissa, the quick-witted maid in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, a name scholars link to the Greek for sea-nymph.

Overall data confidence 55%

References - Narissa / Nerissa — Greek nereis 'sea-nymph'; blend with Marissa

Variations

NerissaMarissaNarisaNarrissa

Nicknames

RissaNariSissa

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Narissa…

Nerissa— the closest parent, a sea-linked Shakespearean name

Marissa— the popular name whose sound Narissa borrows

Larissa— same rolling three-beat rhythm and -issa ending

Clarissa— another soft -issa name of the same feel

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Narissa mean?

Narissa leans on Nerissa and Marissa, names traditionally connected to the sea; it reads as a modern respelling rather than its own ancient word.

How do you pronounce Narissa?

It's said nuh-RISS-uh /nəˈrɪsə/, three syllables, stress on the middle.

Is Narissa a boy or girl name?

Narissa is used as a girl's name.

Is Narissa a popular name?

No, it has always been rare, drifting along at only a couple dozen girls a year even at its quiet best.