by Barbara Armstrong

Created on: January 02, 2008

ETYMOLOGY:
Clarissa is the Latinized form of the English Clarice, meaning "famous." In Spanish and Italian, Clarissa is a diminutive form of Clara, meaning "clear" or "bright." Famous, bright, shining, and gentle are all valid interpretations of the name.

ORIGIN & HISTORY:
Clarissa is of Latin origin, and references to the name can be found in medieval texts. The name was popularized by Samuel Richardson's 18th-century million-plus-words novel "Clarissa, or, the History of a Young Lady," which is the story of a young woman trying (and failing) to live a virtuous life, told through letters between the characters.

POPULARITY:
Clarissa began gaining popularity in the U.S. around 1940, and has been in the top 400 girls' names since the 1980s. The name's peak at #236 in 1994 is likely due to the 1991-1994 television sitcom "Clarissa Explains It All." The quirky series, starring Melissa Joan Hart, dealt with the usual teen concerns and was known for the character's tendency to "break the fourth wall" and speak directly and frankly to the camera about her troubles.

FASCINATING FACTS:
The main character of Virginia Woolf's first successful novel, "Mrs. Dalloway," published in 1925, is named Clarissa Dalloway. In the book, which details one day in the post-WWI life of Clarissa Dalloway, Woolf intimately revealed the deepest workings of her protagonist's mind by writing in the stream-of-consciousness technique also popularized by James Joyce.

NAMESAKES:
Clarissa is a small town (pop. 609) located in central Minnesota.

Clarissa's also a heavenly body, if you can consider an asteroid heavenly: with the dry moniker 302 Clarissa, it's located in the asteroid belt that lies between Mars and Jupiter. 302 Clarissa was discovered in 1890 by Auguste Charlois.

FAMOUS PERSONS:
Mystery writer Agatha Christie (Sept. 15, 1890 - Jan. 12, 1976) was born Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller.

Clarissa Harlowe Barton (Dec. 25, 1821 - Apr. 12, 1912) is famous for organizing the American Red Cross. We know her as Clara Barton.

Chef Clarissa Dickson Wright, born in London in 1947, is famous as the other half of "Two Fat Ladies," a British cooking show. They were known for their rowdy, lighthearted approach to cooking that emphasized fresh ingredients and threw health concerns to the curb. Dickson's costar, Jennifer Paterson, passed away in 1999.

NAME VARIANTS:
Clarise is a nickname for Clarissa. Names associated with Clarissa include Clarisa and Clarice.

Learn more about this author, Barbara Armstrong.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.