Mostly girls · Greek

Melissa

“honeybee”

Say it muh-LIS-uhPronunciation may vary by region.

See your shortlist ↗

A little maybe, saved for later.

The story behind the name

Meet Melissa.

Melissa comes from the Greek mélissa, meaning ‘bee,’ related to meli, meaning ‘honey.’ In Greek mythology, Melissa is associated with a nymph who cared for the infant Zeus. The name combines a nature meaning with a mythological history.

A little perspective

How popular is Melissa?

United States · 2025
Girls · 2025#420747 recorded births

Recorded US births over time

201420251,5090
● Girls● Boys
View the numbers behind the chart
YearCategoryUS rankBirths
2025Girls420747
2024Girls379826
2023Girls411744
2022Girls379823
2021Girls372836
2020Girls349887
2019Girls340933
2018Girls2991,117
2017Girls2751,170
2016Girls2601,236
2015Boys13,3825
2015Girls2531,283
2014Girls2241,509

Rankings are calculated separately for boys and girls. Records below the publication threshold may be missing; gaps are not zero births.

A few ways to make it theirs.

Nicknames

No nicknames are listed yet. The name can stand beautifully on its own.

Variations & related forms

We haven’t added verified variations for this spelling yet.

Keep the possibilities coming

If you love Melissa…

More names with a similar feeling or shared roots.