Marissa is a modern elaboration of Maris, from the Latin phrase stella maris, "star of the sea", a title of the Virgin Mary; it is often read simply as "of the sea". The name peaked in the United States at the turn of the century, ranking number 78 in 2000, then fell steadily: out of the top 100 soon after, out of the top 1000 in 2020 and down to number 1679 in 2025, with 123 girls.