UK girl's name
Parissa
A feminine name of Persian origin meaning "fairy-like" or "pixie-esque".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2010. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Parissa is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Parissa popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2010 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4688, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 4 births.
This profile covers 10 England and Wales registrations across 3 recorded years from 2006 to 2010. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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.
Parissa is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 10 living people in the UK are called Parissa. 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 2011 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Parissa ranked #4688 for girls in England and Wales in 2010, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2010, when 4 girls were registered as Parissa.
- • About 10 living people in the UK are estimated to have Parissa as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4688
2010
Births in 2010
4
Latest year
Peak year
2010
4 births
Estimated living
10
2026
Meaning
What does Parissa mean?
The name Parissa is of Persian origin, originating from the ancient Iranian language of Farsi. It is believed to have derived from the word "Pari," which means a fairy or celestial being in Persian mythology. The earliest known usage of the name dates back to the 6th century BCE, during the Achaemenid Empire in ancient Persia.
Parissa was a common name among the nobility and upper classes of Persian society. It is mentioned in several ancient Persian texts, including the Shahnameh, the national epic of Iran written by the renowned poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th century CE. In this epic, Parissa is described as a beautiful and virtuous princess.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Parissa was Parissa, the daughter of the Sassanid king Khosrau I, who ruled Persia from 531 to 579 CE. She was renowned for her beauty and intelligence, and her name became a symbol of grace and elegance among the Persian aristocracy.
During the Islamic Golden Age, which spanned from the 8th to the 13th century CE, the name Parissa continued to be popular among Persian scholars and poets. One notable figure was Parissa Ganjavi, a 12th-century Persian poet and mystic from the city of Ganja (now in present-day Azerbaijan). Her poetry explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition.
In the 16th century, Parissa was the name of a renowned Persian calligrapher and artist from the city of Shiraz. Her intricate calligraphic works and illustrations adorned many Persian manuscripts and books of the time, and she is considered one of the most accomplished female artists of the Safavid dynasty.
Another historical figure with the name Parissa was Parissa Khanum, a 19th-century Iranian princess and feminist activist. She was a strong advocate for women's education and rights, and played a significant role in establishing the first girls' school in Tehran during the Qajar dynasty.
Throughout history, the name Parissa has been associated with beauty, grace, and artistic expression, reflecting its roots in Persian mythology and culture. While its popularity may have waxed and waned over time, it remains a beloved name in the Persian-speaking world and among those with Iranian heritage.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Parissa over time
The chart below shows babies named Parissa registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2006 to 2010. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Parissa, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2010, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Parissa by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Parissa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4688 | 4 | 1 |
| 2000s | #5131 | 6 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Parissa
- Poppy 52,802
- Phoebe 47,609
- Paige 24,717
- Penelope 13,109
- Pippa 6,346
- Polly 5,678
- Philippa 4,446
- Penny 4,394
- Paris 4,372
- Piper 3,961
- Pearl 3,516
- Paisley 3,419
FAQ
Parissa: questions and answers
How popular is the name Parissa in the UK right now?
In 2010, Parissa was ranked #4688 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Parissa most popular?
The peak year on record was 2010, with 4 babies registered as Parissa in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Parissa?
A feminine name of Persian origin meaning "fairy-like" or "pixie-esque".
How many people are called Parissa in the UK?
A total of 10 babies have been registered as Parissa across the 3 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
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.