With a latin grave accent it would be Alyssà I believe.

I love names, too. Long ago, when I worked in the overdues division of a large library system, I used to keep a list of interesting names I encountered... how I wish I still had that list!

I must confess that I too have kept, for years, a list of names that I have found throughout various reading selections. I also made note on my list of an unusual custom used in one society where age can be determined by the number of syllables in ones name. Hmmm...I wonder where I got that idea from?

I can understand the frustration of having a name constantly spelled wrong. (When I say "Anne," I watch to see if the other person adds the 'e' or not, and then I judge them.) But Alyssa-with-an-accent could have been nicer about it!

In French, the marks are accents, but in Arabic, the marks as often as not are actually short vowels! Who knew?

I named my daughter, Ashleigh. At the time I didn't realize the trouble I caused her. She goes through life spelling her name, Ashleigh spelled, "l-e-i-g-h". She has often said, "You could not think of a normal spelling or name?" Who knew? I spent 9 months thinking of the perfect name and still messed up. http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com/">http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow">http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com/">http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com/

As teachers, we come across VERY interesting names. My friend, a teacher in Arkansas had a student in her school named Le-a.
Not knowing how to pronounce this, many of the teachers were befuddled. The mother stepped in to correct them stating it was pronounced Luh dasha. Obviously the "dash" was not silent!

OK, now I really want a dash in my name!
Or a silent 3, or something. . . .

Incidentally, the accent in "voilà" actually goes the other way (it's an accent grave).