Larissa
/ləˈrɪsə/noun
A feminine given name, also used for several ancient and modern place-names, especially the city of Larissa in Thessaly, Greece.
Did you know?Larissa was the name of a nymph in Greek mythology, but the famous Thessalian city called Larissa likely preserves a much older, pre-Greek place-name whose original meaning is uncertain.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Greek period
Pre-Greek
*Larissa
“A reconstructed ancient place-name; its original meaning is uncertain, though it is often associated with fortified settlements.”
Classical antiquity
Ancient Greek
Λάρισσα (Lárissa)
“The name of Larissa, a major city in Thessaly, and the name of a mythological nymph.”
Hellenistic period
Greek
Larisa
“A widely used form of the city-name in Greek and later geographical traditions.”
Roman period
Latin
Larissa
“The Latinized name of the Thessalian city and of the mythological figure.”
19th Century
English
Larissa
“Adopted into English as a feminine personal name through classical and European naming traditions.”
Modern English
English
Larissa
“A feminine given name and the conventional English name of the Greek city.”
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