Melissa
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Melissa
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 girl names starting with M. 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.
Melissa is also given to boys.
Pronounced muh-LIS-uh.
As of October 2026, Melissa ranked #420 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #2 in 1977, Nameberry popularity #396.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #224 | 1,509 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #253 | 1,283 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #260 | 1,236 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #275 | 1,170 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #299 | 1,117 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #340 | 933 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #349 | 887 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #372 | 836 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #379 | 823 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #410 | 743 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #378 | 825 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #420 | 747 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Melissa.
Melissa on lists
Famous Melissas
- Melissa BenoistGirl
American actress
- Melissa FumeroGirl
American actress
- Melissa "Missy" HigginsGirl
Australian singer and actress
- Melissa Rose "Melrose" BickerstaffGirl
American model
- Melissa Joan HartGirl
American actress
- Melissa EtheridgeGirl
American singer
- Melissa Claire EganGirl
American actress
- Melissa GeorgeGirl
Australian,American actress
- Melissa RosenbergGirl
American actress
- Melissa GrimesGirl
fashion designer & contestant on "Under the Gunn"
- Melissa OrdwayGirl
American actress
- Melissa GilbertGirl
American actress
- Melissa McCarthyGirl
American actress
- Melissa 'Missy' FranklinGirl
US Olympic Gold Medal swimmer
- Melissa McBrideGirl
American actress
- Melissa Sue AndersonGirl
American actress
- Melissa Arnette "Missy" ElliottGirl
American singer
- Melissa MathisonGirl
American film & TV screenwriter
- Melissa Margaret PetermanGirl
American actress & comedian
- Melissa Ivy RauchGirl
American actress & comedian
- Melissa Chessington LeoGirl
American actress
- Melissa LynnGirl
L.A. stylist and fiancee of actor Jonathan Sadowski
- Melissa TrnGirl
costume designer and wife of actor Brett Dalton
- Melissa "Missy" (Hollister) LanningGirl
American vlogger as part of "Daily Bumps"
- Melissa Palma Julie TancrediGirl
Canadian soccer player
- Melissa Susanne HendersonGirl
American soccer player
- Melissa Marie Ortiz MatallanaGirl
Colombian football player
- Melissa Anne BarbieriGirl
Australian soccer player
- Melissa HooperGirl
competitor on E! reality show "Bridalplasty"
- Melissa ZieglerGirl
Gisoni, mother of Maddie and Mackenzie Ziegler, featured on Lifetime’s “Dance Moms”
Melissa in pop culture
- Melissa HastingsGirl
older sister of Spencer from ''Pretty Little Liars''
- Melissa ArtemisGirl
Greek dancer & prostitute in "The Alexandria Quartet"
- Melissa NormanGirl
from the movie "Room 6"
- Melissa NelsonGirl
from "Malicious"
- Melissa WebberGirl
from "Packin' It In"
- Melissa ScullyGirl
character on FOX's "X,Files"
- MelissaGirl
heroine in Barbara Cartland's book An Arrow of Love
- Melissa GaleGirl
character in the game "Siren: Blood Curse"
- Melissa McCallGirl
mother of Scott from MTV's "Teen Wolf"
- Melissa LewisGirl
commander of the Ares 3 mission in "The Martian"
- Melissa 'Oregon' ShawcrossGirl
character in TV's "Fresh Meat."
- Melissa LycanGirl
character in Aphmau's YouTube series
- MelissaGirl
character in series "Yellowjackets"
Variations & nicknames
More nicknames
- MalissaGirl
- MallissaGirl
- MelGirl
- MelesaGirl
- MelessaGirl
- MeletaGirl
- MelicentGirl
- MeliciaGirl
- MeliseGirl
- MelisendaGirl
- MelisentGirl
- MelishaGirl
- MelisseGirl
- MelissiaGirl
- MelitaGirl
- MelittaGirl
- MellicentGirl
- MellieGirl
- MellisaGirl
- MellissaGirl
- MellyGirl
- MelosaGirl
- MelyssaGirl
- MilissaGirl
- MilliGirl
- MillicentGirl
- MillieGirl
- MillisentGirl
- MillissentGirl
- MillyGirl
- MishaGirl
- MissieGirl
- MissyGirl
- MolissiaGirl
- MollissaGirl
- MylissaGirl
- MylissiaGirl
- MélissaGirl