Elissa has two sources: in antiquity it was the Phoenician name of Dido, the legendary queen who founded Carthage, and in modern use it is a variant of Alissa and Elisa, short forms of Elizabeth, which means "my God is an oath". The double s gives it a slightly softer look than Elisa. Elissa ranked number 792 in 2000, peaked at number 784 in 2001 and has drifted down to number 1848 in 2025.