Tisa

♀ Girl

Pronounced TEE-suh /ˈtiː.sə/Medium

Meaning: Tisa is read either as the Swahili word tisa ('nine, ninth') or as a short form of names like Letitia or Theresa. Its American use, colored by actress Tisa Farrow, is a twentieth-century story, and the exact route is uncertain.Low

In 30 seconds: A short, bright name: Tisa may mean Swahili 'ninth' or shorten Letitia (said 'TEE-suh'). It peaked around 1970. Routes are uncertain, which we note.

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Origin LowSwahili, American

MeaningTisa is read either as the Swahili word tisa ('nine, ninth') or as a short form of names like Letitia or Theresa. Its American use, colored by actress Tisa Farrow, is a twentieth-century story, and the exact route is uncertain.

U.S. rank (2021)#17458 ↗ Rising

2021 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1970

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,447

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

Tisa is read either as the Swahili tisa ('ninth') or as a trim short form of Letitia or Theresa. Its American use rose in the early 1970s, colored by actress Tisa Farrow, peaking around 1970. The exact route is uncertain, which we note (said 'TEE-suh').

Never common, the name grew rare after the 1970s. It reads today as a spare, distinctive name of its era. Short, disputed, and uncommon.

Did you know? Tisa can be read as the Swahili word for 'ninth' or as a short form of Letitia; actress Tisa Farrow bore it, and the name peaked for American girls around 1970.

Overall data confidence 40%

References — Tisa — Swahili 'ninth' or short for Letitia/Theresa; uncertain, disputed

Variations

TishaTeesaTheresa

Nicknames

TeeSasa

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Tisa…

Tisha— a like short bright feminine

Lisa— a like trim -isa name of the era

Nisa— a like short vowel-bright pick

Letitia— a name Tisa may shorten

Explore names like Tisa

By themeuncertain short vintage 1970s

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Tisa mean?

Tisa may be the Swahili word for 'ninth' or a short form of Letitia or Theresa. The routes are uncertain.

How do you pronounce Tisa?

It's said TEE-suh /ˈtiː.sə/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Tisa a boy or girl name?

Tisa is a girl's name.

Is Tisa making a comeback?

It stays rare, reading as a distinctive name of the 1970s.