There’s spare Claire and vintage Clara. But what about the frilliest of them all?
Thanks to Fran for suggesting Clarissa as Baby Name of the Day.
A recent post featuring Larissa prompted comments about the -ssa ending. It’s true that many -ssa names are fading: Melissa, Vanessa, Alyssa, and Marissa all have their best days behind them, mostly in the 1970s and 1980s.
Clarissa, too, is more of a modern success than a vintage revival. Her best year in the US was 1994, when she peaked at #236, before falling to a distant #602 in 2009 – about where she ranked in the nineteenth century.
Her 1990s use probably has something to do with Nickelodeon’s Clarissa Explains It All. Melissa Joan Hart played teenager Clarissa who did, indeed, break the fourth wall to explain everything to her young viewers.
There was nothing controversial about Hart’s good girl character, but the original pop culture Clarissa was a different story. The title page pictured above is from Samuel Richardson’s 1748 Clarissa, or, the History of a Young Lady.
Richardon’s Clarissa is virtuous, but saddled to a nouveau riche family with greater social aspirations. Her parents and brother conspire to make an advantageous match for the lovely young Clarissa. Their plans end badly; her attempts to thwart their plans go even worse. Despite her many trials, she remains an admirable figure.
It’s difficult to say how many girls were named Clarissa after the novel, but it appears that Richardson did put the name back into the mix. The Latin clarus – clear, bright, famous – generated many a given name. Clarice, Claricia, and Clarrie can be found in the Middle Ages. Clarissa appears to have been a Latin form of Clarice, or sometimes a diminutive derived from the Clar- names. Fifteenth century aristocrat Clarice Orsini married Lorenzo de Medici; they’re the parents of Pope Leo X. She’s referred to as both Clarice and Clarissa in the historical record.
Other notables include:
- Clara Barton was born Clarissa, though she’d shed her -issa by the time she organized the American Red Cross;
- Poet and psychoanalyst Clarissa Pinkola Estés is known for her advocacy on a range of social justice issues, but also lends the name a certain New Age vibe;
- Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway is named Clarissa;
- Celeb chef Clarissa Wright is known in name circles for her extended appellation. Her full name is Clarissa Theresa Philomena Aileen Mary Josephine Agnes Elsie Trilby Louise Esmerelda Dickson Wright.
Despite her -ssa ending being out of favor, Clarissa could be that perfect alternative for parents weary of finding all the -ella ending names overused. With Claire ranked at #53 and Clara rising to #199 last year, Clarissa fits in. But since she’s never been overused, she’ll still stand out.
I have loved the name Clarissa ever since I saw the movie “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”. Clarissa is the first name of Mr. Smith’s strong and sassy secretary, “Saunders”. I love it in the movie when Jimmy Stewart (Mr. Smith) tries to guess Saunders’ first name and lists a wonderful string of names until Saunders finally says, “No, it’s Clarissa”. It is a mesmerizing moment and it made me fall in love with the name. If only I could convince my husband to use it for our girl due in January. I think it stands out above all the other -ssa names. In fact, it’s the only one I would consider using!
Oh – you know, I haven’t seen that movie in a million years and I don’t remember the scene. Need to remedy that, and fast! It seems like a charming inspiration for a daughter’s name.
You really should! It’s a great movie and scene, even more so for name aficionados. 🙂
I think I might be right at the sweet spot age of women for whom “Clarissa Explains it All” just totally dominates this name. And “Helloooo Clarice” just sends creepy chills down my spine. No and no.
I love frilly names like Clarissa. I also like a lot of the -issa names-like Vanessa (still a favorite!) and Marisa. I don’t really like Clarice, it reminds me of the bad girl in the Percy Jackson books, although hers was spelled Clarisse. I adore Claire, and would probably chose that over any of the others.
@Bridget – what a coincidence! And how interesting that she changed her name.
Clarice is really growing on me, though I can hear that creepy Anthony Hopkins-as-Hannibal Lechter voice every time I say it.
I seem to recall that one of many women in my family with a Clar- name was Clarice, so it wasn’t an option for us. But it wouldn’t have worked anyway … nothing that ends with an -s sound works with our last name, since it starts with an S. So many names, out the window!
Maybe one of my sibs will use it …
@Lola – I haven’t thought about North & South in FOREVER. Wasn’t the sister called Britt?
You sort of got it! *Good* sister Brett (not Britt) married George’s brother Billy, *bad* sister Ashton had a bad ending, befitting her behavior. On a related note, there’s also an Augusta (todays NotD), died giving birth to Orry’s cousin Charles’ boy during the war. (still makes me cry when I read it). and another, related to Virginia, sort of: George’s sister: Virgilia. Yep, time to dig that trilogy out and re-read it! 😀
It was one of my favorite guilty pleasures when I was younger. My mom bought be the entire mini series on DVD for Christmas a few years ago. So many great names!
And PS, I do love the name Clarissa.
Lovely post! I was going to comment on yesterday’s post “Virginia”, but never did – and I definitely had to comment on today’s, b/c my grandmother’s name was Virginia Clarissa. We love using family names & I’ve always tried to think of ways I could work both or one of these into a girl’s name if I’m blessed with one.
I prefer Virginie (pronouncing the ‘G’ as they do in French) to Virginia, love the nn Gigi.
As far as Clarissa goes, some days I like it, some days I don’t. Maybe use ‘Clair’ instead?
Sidenote: My grandmother later changed her middle name to ‘Anne’, which also has many possibilites.
I prefer Clarissa to Clarice, probably because I can’t get Hannibal Lecter’s voice out of my head when I read/hear Clarice. 🙁 Clarissa is dainty and feminine and offers the nickname Rissy. And wow, I did not know that Clarissa Wright had so many fantastic names!
Unfortunately, my husband has the same problem with Clarissa that I do with Clarice – he associates it with Nickelodeon and breaking the fourth wall. If we ever were to go down this path, we would probably compromise with Claire.
I like Clarissa, I think I prefer it to Clarice, but I like them both. Clarissa is my favorite of the issa names you mentioned, which I want to like more than I actually do. Anyway, Clarissa isn’t too frilly to me, I think she’s well balanced.
I too favour Clarice over Clarissa, which strikes me as just a little too frilly (here speaks the mother of Roseanna!). I think Clarice strikes a pleasant balance between decidedly feminine and strongly sensible. I wouldn’t use it myself, but that’s simply because I don’t like it quite enough for it to be in my top ten.
I’ll give all my support to Clarice over the dainty, frilly, sugary Clarissa. Clarice offers the nicknames Clare and Reece, and I’m not bothered by the Silence Of The Lambs tie.
I met a Patrice who answers to Reese – I do love that idea for a nickname.
And I forgot Clairee in Steel Magnolias, another nn option.
I adore Clarissa! It’s one my other half detests though. Makes me want to cry when I ponder. I’ve had a love affair with Clarice since I was 2 or 3, it’s the name of Rudolph’s (the reindeer) girlfriend. Such a pretty sound, dang that Hannibal! 🙂
But Clarissa’s been a favorite since at least 1982, where I found her in the pages of “North & South” where she’s Orry’s mother. Very much a product of her time & upbringing, Clarissa’s a sympathetic character and easily my favorite secondary in the series.
I wish I could use Clarissa, it’s so lovely. Soft yet strong. Sounds pretty good with my surname too! Darn the man. 🙂