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Melissa

The name Melissa peaked for boys at #747 in 1980. Melissa is also used for girls, ranking #420 in 2025.

The name Melissa is a girl's name of Greek origin meaning "honeybee".

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Names that Peaked in 1979

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Greek Names that Start With M

Melissa derives from the Greek word mélissa, meaning "bee," which was taken from the word for honey, meli. In Greek mythology, Melissa was a nymph who nursed the infant god Zeus with honey. Melissa was used as a given name by the early Greeks, as well as for fairies by Italian Renaissance poets.
 
Most parents today think of Melissa as one of the fashionable names during their childhoods, and indeed for years it was one of the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/m">girl names starting with M</a>. But there are still plenty of little Melissas around and Melissa is also a more classic name than you might think, used in the U.S. since the eighteenth century and originating as the name of a nymph in Greek mythology. 
 Melissa was the name of the good witch in Ariosto's major 1532 narrative poem Orlando Furioso. Later, it can be found in the works of a wide range of writers, including Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling and Lawrence Durrell.

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The name Melissa is currently ranked #420 in U.S. births. and peaked for girls at #2 in 1977. The name is most popular in California, California, and California. Melissa is occasionally used for boys in 2015.

Lissa

Missy

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