Karyssa as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Karyssa

What is the meaning of the name Karyssa ?

The baby name Karyssa is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced kuh-RIS-uh (IPA: /kəˈrɪsə/).

Karyssa is Greek in Origin.

Karyssa is a modern English respelling of Carissa/Karissa, themselves linked to two streams: the Greek charis, meaning “grace, favor, kindness,” and the Latin-rooted carus/cara, “dear, beloved.” The literary form Charissa was popularized by Edmund Spenser in The Faerie Queene (1590), where she personifies Charity, further reinforcing associations of benevolence. The Y in Karyssa reflects late-20th-century American naming fashions and does not change the typical pronunciation kuh-RISS-uh.

Usage rose in North America from the 1980s through the early 2000s alongside Marissa and Alyssa, then declined, making Karyssa a distinctive yet familiar choice today. Related variants include Karissa, Carissa, Charissa, Karisa/Carisa, and the shorter Karis/Caris; Carys is sometimes grouped with them but is Welsh for “love.” Diminutives include Kari and Rissa. Overall meanings cluster around “grace,” “kindness,” “beloved,” and “charity.”