UK girl's name
Marisa
Latin name meaning "of the sea" or "bitter".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Marisa is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Marisa popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3695, with 6 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1998, with 40 births.
This profile covers 593 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 15% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 783 living people in the UK are called Marisa. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Marisa ranked #3695 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 6 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1998, when 40 girls were registered as Marisa.
- • Marisa ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #802 in 2014.
- • About 783 living people in the UK are estimated to have Marisa as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3695
2024
Births in 2024
6
Latest year
Peak year
1998
40 births
Estimated living
783
2026
Meaning
What does Marisa mean?
The name Marisa is a feminine name derived from the Latin name Maria, which is a variant of the Hebrew name Miriam. The name Maria has its roots in ancient Judeo-Christian traditions and is associated with the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ in the New Testament of the Bible.
The name Marisa is believed to have originated in Italy during the Middle Ages as a diminutive form of Maria. It gained popularity across Europe, especially in Spain, Portugal, and other regions with a strong Catholic influence. The name was likely influenced by the veneration of the Virgin Mary in various Catholic traditions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Marisa can be found in the 13th century, when it appeared in Italian historical records and literary works. During the Renaissance period, the name gained further prominence, particularly in Italy and other parts of southern Europe.
Historically, several notable individuals have borne the name Marisa. One of the earliest examples is Marisa da Siena, an Italian Roman Catholic professed religious who lived in the 14th century and is revered as a Blessed in the Catholic Church.
Another notable figure is Marisa Mell, an Austrian actress and model born in 1939, who appeared in numerous Italian and international films during the 1960s and 1970s. She was known for her roles in classic Spaghetti Western movies and is remembered as a prominent figure in Italian cinema.
In the realm of literature, Marisa Madieri was an Italian writer and journalist born in 1938, renowned for her contributions to contemporary Italian literature and her work as a cultural critic.
The name Marisa has also been associated with individuals in the arts and entertainment industry. Marisa Tomei, an American actress born in 1964, is a notable example. She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the film "My Cousin Vinny" in 1992.
Marisa Paredes, a Spanish actress born in 1946, is another prominent figure who has made significant contributions to the film industry, particularly in Spanish and European cinema. She is renowned for her roles in acclaimed films such as "All About My Mother" and "The Flower of My Secret."
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Marisa over time
The chart below shows babies named Marisa registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Marisa, the clearest high point is 1998. The latest England and Wales figure is 6 births in 2024, compared with 40 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Marisa by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Marisa was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #2881 | 46 | 5 |
| 2010s | #2023 | 156 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1023 | 256 | 10 |
| 1990s | #714 | 135 | 4 |
Geography
Where Marisa is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Marisa. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Marisa ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #802 in 2014.
Across the UK
Marisa in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#802 in 2014
34 years of NRS records, 196 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Marisa
-
Marisa Abela
actor
English actress
1996-
-
Marisa Calin
actor; manufacturer
British actress
1983-
-
Marisa Mackle
novelist
Irish writer
1973-
-
Marisa Linton
historian
Canadian historian
1959-
-
Marisa Robles
harpist; music educator
Spanish musician
1937-
-
Marisa Taylor
researcher; dermatologist
British dermatologist
-
Marisa Heath
candidate in the 2024 United Kingdom general election
Related
Names similar to Marisa
- Megan 70,884
- Mia 67,204
- Molly 47,734
- Millie 44,390
- Maisie 32,671
- Matilda 29,965
- Maya 26,445
- Madison 18,441
- Maria 17,304
- Mollie 15,914
- Martha 15,116
- Maddison 14,918
FAQ
Marisa: questions and answers
How popular is the name Marisa in the UK right now?
In 2024, Marisa was ranked #3695 for girls in England and Wales, with 6 births registered.
When was Marisa most popular?
The peak year on record was 1998, with 40 babies registered as Marisa in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Marisa?
Latin name meaning "of the sea" or "bitter".
How many people are called Marisa in the UK?
A total of 593 babies have been registered as Marisa across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 196 more in Scotland.
Where is Marisa most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Marisa ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #802 in 2014. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.