Melissa
Meaning of Melissa
Melissa is a mellifluous Greek classic, born from “melissa,” the honey-bee that flits between flowers and myths alike; in legend, a nurturing nymph called Melissa soothed infant Zeus with honey, much as an Indian dadi might calm a child with a dab of gur. The name’s meaning—sweetness gathered through patient industry—gives it a quietly inspiring aura, and Greeks once used it as an honorific for priestesses, the original “worker bees” of their temples. In the United States, Melissa buzzed to the top of the popularity hive in the 1970s and 80s, then drifted to a gentle hum in recent years, but its warm, familiar ring still feels as comforting as cardamom chai on a rainy evening. Pronounced muh-LISS-uh, it balances softness with a lively sibilant spark, inviting nicknames from Mel to Lissy without losing its sunny core. For parents who want a name that whispers both mythic grace and down-to-earth charm—plus the subtle promise of a hard-working, honey-hearted spirit—Melissa remains a timeless, nectar-rich choice.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as muh-LISS-uh (/məˈlɪsə/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Melissa
| Melissa Etheridge is an American singer songwriter and guitarist whose 1988 debut sparked multiple Grammy nominations and led to her first Grammy win in 1992. |
| Melissa Fumero is an American actress and television director best known for playing Amy Santiago on Brooklyn Nine Nine, later starring in MODOK, Blockbuster, and Digman, and is married to David Fumero with two sons. |
| Melissa McCarthy is an acclaimed American actress, comedian, writer, and producer with two Emmys, Oscar and Golden Globe nominations, a Time 100 honor, frequent highest paid rankings, and a number 22 spot on The New York Times list of the 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century. |
| Melissa Benoist is an American actress and singer who broke out on Glee and is best known for playing the title role in Supergirl. |
| Melissa Joan Hart is an American actress, director, and producer best known for starring in Clarissa Explains It All, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Melissa and Joey, and films like Drive Me Crazy and God's Not Dead 2. |
| Melissa Gilbert is an American actress best known as Laura Ingalls Wilder on Little House on the Prairie who began as a child star and later worked mainly in TV films, also competing on Dancing with the Stars in 2012. |
| Melissa Perrine is an Australian B2 visually impaired para alpine skier who competed at four Winter Paralympics from 2010 to 2022, winning three gold, one silver, and one bronze at the 2015 world championships and two bronze medals at the 2018 Winter Paralympics. |
| Melissa Ivy Rauch is an American actress best known for playing Bernadette on The Big Bang Theory and for starring in and executive producing three seasons of the Night Court revival. |
| Melissa Villaseñor - Melissa Villasenor is an American comedian and impressionist who rose from stand-up to a six-season run on Saturday Night Live from 2016 to 2022. |
| Melissa Harris-Perry is an American writer, professor, and television political commentator focused on African American politics who hosted an MSNBC weekend show from 2012 to February 2016. |
| Melissa Rivers is an American television host and actress, and the only child of comedian Joan Rivers and producer Edgar Rosenberg. |
| Melissa Ann Gorga is an American TV personality who joined The Real Housewives of New Jersey in 2011. |
| Melissa Sue Anderson is an American and Canadian actress best known for playing Mary Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie and for earning a Primetime Emmy nomination. |
| Melissa Claire Egan is an American soap actress best known for playing Annie Lavery on All My Children and Chelsea Lawson on The Young and the Restless. |
| Melissa Candida Doi was an American senior manager at IQ Financial Systems who died in the September 11 attacks at the World Trade Center. |
