Anissa
Anissa is a girl's name of Arabic origin.
Meaning
Friendly, pleasant companion, or pure.
Origin and history
Anissa is a feminine given name with roots primarily in Arabic, where it means 'friendly' or 'pleasant companion,' though it is also considered a variant of Agnes or Ann in Western contexts. In the United States, it gained moderate popularity in the late 20th century, influenced in part by pop culture figures like actress Anissa Jones.
Popularity in the United States
12,498 babies in the United States have been named Anissa since 1880. It ranks #1439 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #1673.
States where it is most popular
- CA (23.2 %)
- TX (17.3 %)
- NY (6.8 %)
- AZ (6.7 %)
- IL (4.7 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 0 |
| 1890-1900 | 0 |
| 1900-1910 | 0 |
| 1910-1920 | 0 |
| 1920-1930 | 0 |
| 1930-1940 | 0 |
| 1940-1950 | 0 |
| 1950-1960 | 0 |
| 1960-1970 | 1,352 |
| 1970-1980 | 3,043 |
| 1980-1990 | 747 |
| 1990-2000 | 3,418 |
| 2000-2010 | 2,419 |
| 2010-2019 | 1,091 |
| 2020-2029 | 428 |
Famous people named Anissa
- Anissa Jones: Actress
- Anissa Meksen: Kickboxer, Martial Artist
Nicknames
Nissa, Niss, Annie, Nisi
Fun facts
- Child actress Anissa Jones played Buffy on the popular late-1960s sitcom Family Affair, boosting awareness of the name.
- The name functions both as a traditional Arabic name and as a modern Western phonetic variant of Agnes or Anne.