Alessa is an Italian short form of Alessandra, the feminine of Alexander, which comes from the Greek for "defender of mankind" or "defender of men". It offers a sleek alternative to Alyssa and Alexa with a touch of Italian polish. Alessa ranked number 4405 in 2000, climbed to a best rank of 1358 in 2016 and has stayed between about 1400 and 1700 since, standing at number 1872 in 2025.