Is Karissa in the Bible? No, It Comes From Charis, the Greek Word for Grace



  • No one named Karissa appears in the Bible.
  • Behind the Name lists Karissa as a variant of Charissa, from the Greek charis, “grace, kindness”; Karissa, Carissa and Charissa are pronounced alike.
  • Charis is the New Testament’s word for grace, as in 2 Corinthians 12:9, and 1 Peter 4:10 pairs it with charisma, “gift.”
  • The Septuagint uses charis for the Hebrew chen, “favor,” in Genesis 6:8, and Luke 1:30 uses the same expression, “found favor.”
  • Karissa was in the US top 1,000 for girls from 1977 to 2013 and peaked at 306th in 1991.

No one named Karissa appears in the Bible. Karissa is a spelling of Charissa, a name made from the Greek word charis, “grace.” That word is common in the New Testament, where it names the grace of God. What does Karissa mean? Behind the Name lists Karissa as a variant of Charissa, and Charissa as an elaborated form of Charis, a Greek name taken from the word charis, “grace, kindness.” The K spelling follows the sound. In names that come…

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