Discover and Shortlist Your Perfect Baby Names!

Melissa as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Melissa

♡Add to my Name List

The baby name Melissa is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /məˈlɪsə/ (muh-LISS-uh).

Melissa is Greek in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 3.0
Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: /məˈlɪsə/ (muh-LISS-uh)

What is the meaning of the name Melissa ?

The baby name Melissa is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /məˈlɪsə/ (muh-LISS-uh).

Melissa is Greek in Origin.

Melissa stems from the ancient Greek Μέλισσα (Mélissa), meaning “bee” or “honeybee.” In myth, Melissa appears as a nurturing nymph who fed the infant Zeus with honey and as a title for priestesses, linking the name to sweetness, protection, and industriousness. The Latinized form traveled through Europe; it also names the fragrant herb Melissa officinalis (lemon balm), beloved by bees.

The given name entered wider use in Renaissance and early modern Europe via classical revival and literature - most notably Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso, which featured a benevolent enchantress named Melissa. It rose in English-speaking countries in the late 20th century, becoming especially popular in the 1960s–80s. International variants include Mélissa (French), Melisa (Spanish, Turkish, Bosnian, Croatian), and Malissa (English variant). Related forms are Melitta and Melina. Common short forms include Mel, Liss/Lissa, Lissy, Missy, and Meli.

Melissa has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Melissa

Melissa Auf der Maur Musician · Born 1972 · Canada Melissa Auf der Maur is a Canadian musician best known for her role as the bassist for the rock band Hole. She also played with The Smashing Pumpkins and released solo albums like 'Auf der Maur' which includes songs such as 'Followed the Waves'. Melissa Manchester Musician · Born 1951 · United States Melissa Manchester is a musician from the United States, best known for her hit songs from the 1970s and 1980s. Her popular tracks include 'Don't Cry Out Loud' and 'You Should Hear How She Talks About You'. She has had a successful career as a singer-songwriter, captivating audiences with her powerful voice and emotive performances.

Celebrity babies named Melissa

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Melissa Newman Joanne Woodward television actor ★★★★★ Paul Newman film director ★★★★★
Melissa Rivers Joan Rivers film director ★★★★★ Edgar Rosenberg film producer ★★★★★
Melissa Trumbo Dalton Trumbo film director ★★★★★
Melissa Montgomery Dinah Shore television actor ★★★★★ George Montgomery film director ★★★★★

Melissa – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 — 874
Germany Girls 2025 #1 — 411
FJ Girls 0 #9 1 583
HT 0 #12 1 399
KR Girls 0 #15 1 572
HN 0 #16 7 704
SV Girls 0 #16 3 458
CR 0 #18 205 5,526
BW 0 #19 1 960
NA 0 #20 14 2,537
HT Girls 0 #21 3 950
CR Girls 0 #27 2,238 11,342
ET Boys 0 #27 1 678
HN Girls 0 #27 10 884
ZA 0 #28 759 14,421
BN 0 #31 2 2,297
BI Girls 0 #32 2 726
TM Girls 0 #33 3 574
EE 0 #35 3 1,051
MV Girls 0 #35 1 2,021
ID 0 #36 4 2,238
MT 0 #37 7 1,767
JM Girls 0 #39 410 7,507
PR 0 #41 15 1,497
IT Girls 2020 #45 844 46
MO 0 #49 4 2,706
PH 0 #49 48 5,607
CM 0 #51 6 2,592
LU 0 #52 15 2,830
PA 0 #53 80 3,797
JM 0 #54 34 3,714
PA Girls 0 #56 1,188 9,861
Austria Girls 2014 #57 127 60
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
JP 0 #64 14 4,057
AL 0 #66 10 2,372
NL Girls 0 #66 4,915 5,933
PR Girls 0 #71 102 3,171
AZ Girls 0 #72 4 1,051
CN 0 #73 13 3,857
LU Girls 0 #74 131 4,850
AO 0 #75 3 2,729
BG 0 #77 6 1,799
Switzerland Girls 2024 #78 59 1,786
Sweden Girls 2022 #79 127 1,568
BN Girls 0 #79 28 5,459
SI 0 #80 1 1,612
RS 0 #83 2 923
SG 0 #84 225 11,010
ID Girls 0 #85 14 3,319
TW 0 #89 12 4,523
MD Girls 0 #90 3 865
ZA Girls 0 #93 5,235 25,928
AF Girls 0 #94 1 2,402
MX 0 #97 590 8,339
QA 0 #98 9 7,011
EC 0 #99 17 2,502
OM 0 #101 16 6,215
PE 0 #101 285 6,350
CY Girls 0 #102 20 3,755
PE Girls 0 #102 5,503 14,861
MT Girls 0 #103 49 3,773
KW 0 #105 12 5,216
Norway Girls 2025 #112 15 453
BW Girls 0 #113 36 4,216
SG Girls 0 #113 994 18,916
HU 0 #114 2 1,675
MU 0 #115 22 3,613
EE Girls 0 #116 23 1,888
CO Girls 0 #117 8,958 16,140
EC Girls 0 #121 135 3,650
MX Girls 0 #124 7,415 17,781
CO 0 #126 846 7,768
MU Girls 0 #126 271 8,539
NA Girls 0 #129 100 7,146
UY 0 #132 46 2,477
GR 0 #133 3 3,911
IQ 0 #133 1 3,533
RS Girls 0 #133 5 1,651
NL 0 #135 324 2,481
PH Girls 0 #136 320 13,098
AE 0 #140 38 10,220
JO 0 #140 1 2,158
GT Girls 0 #143 640 7,500
MY 0 #147 201 12,352
SI Girls 0 #151 24 2,769
Belgium Girls 2024 #152 34 424
Germany Girls 0 #152 2,562 4,949
Austria Girls 0 #154 497 1,885
Austria 0 #165 49 850
IT Girls 0 #167 15,412 9,415
AR 0 #175 12 2,915
HR 0 #178 4 2,081
PR Boys 0 #178 1 2,508
RU 0 #178 12 3,641
DK 0 #180 24 5,198
PT 0 #181 68 4,161
AL Girls 0 #182 41 4,141
DK Girls 0 #183 153 7,429
CZ 0 #184 3 3,154
JP Girls 0 #186 60 6,592
AO Girls 0 #188 22 4,575
PT Girls 0 #189 475 7,952
Canada Girls 2024 #194 93 2,795
QA Girls 0 #196 122 15,378
LT Girls 0 #197 4 1,904
BG Girls 0 #199 25 3,559
CM Girls 0 #200 511 11,671
UY Girls 0 #201 515 6,731
BO Girls 0 #204 732 9,488
MO Girls 0 #209 43 7,056
PS 0 #209 10 5,692
PL 0 #211 2 2,600
TW Girls 0 #211 66 8,139
HU Girls 0 #212 12 3,308
CN Girls 0 #213 153 8,829
CL Girls 0 #215 1,810 14,098
MY Girls 0 #220 1,556 24,821
CL 0 #221 226 6,867
GT 0 #222 93 5,948
GR Girls 0 #224 19 6,293
GH 0 #228 16 5,396
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
MO Boys 0 #234 1 5,842
IT 0 #237 1,079 4,183
Finland Girls 2026 #238 1,531 3,895
BD 0 #241 1 5,992
EC Boys 0 #245 2 3,322
NG 0 #248 17 5,926
AO Boys 0 #249 1 5,568
Finland Girls 0 #252 166 1,368
BR 0 #255 92 5,969
HR Girls 0 #257 33 3,687
Germany 0 #261 194 2,542
IL 0 #263 12 6,291
GH Girls 0 #270 55 6,973
SA 0 #271 25 10,560
Finland 0 #273 35 830
France Girls 2021 #278 133 3,185
OM Girls 0 #279 118 15,987
KZ Girls 0 #280 41 5,862
BR Girls 0 #282 1,602 12,708
JM Boys 0 #288 6 6,876
DZ 0 #292 2,298 20,130
LB 0 #294 496 13,263
AE Girls 0 #295 268 20,968
Canada Boys 1992 #304 9 1,690
HK 0 #310 39 8,483
BO 0 #313 69 6,868
JO Girls 0 #313 13 7,570
CZ Girls 0 #317 25 5,378
United States Girls 2024 #327 825 8,487
CN Boys 0 #330 2 9,639
Spain Girls 0 #331 1,210 5,561
KW Girls 0 #331 186 19,177
RU Girls 0 #340 168 11,913
Spain 0 #349 104 2,326
SD Girls 0 #353 6 7,678
PL Girls 0 #357 8 5,096
MU Boys 0 #366 4 8,477
YE 0 #370 12 8,639
HK Girls 0 #379 256 16,104
PT Boys 0 #379 3 7,951
EG 0 #390 11 6,387
BD Girls 0 #399 8 8,413
PH Boys 0 #407 2 11,440
UY Boys 0 #412 2 5,922
AR Girls 0 #436 171 8,289
PS Girls 0 #458 66 10,981
GT Boys 0 #465 10 7,625
PA Boys 0 #467 15 9,305
IR Girls 0 #473 58 8,334
CR Boys 0 #476 12 10,188
NG Girls 0 #479 358 15,093
AR Boys 0 #480 4 7,628
IQ Girls 0 #484 21 11,303
BH 0 #491 63 17,937
RU Boys 0 #493 13 12,621
IL Girls 0 #511 108 11,648
CM Boys 0 #526 25 12,054
LY 0 #555 5 12,703
HK Boys 0 #556 2 12,905
PS Boys 0 #558 4 10,655
IR Boys 0 #565 1 10,162
BD Boys 0 #605 1 10,045
IN Girls 0 #611 21 13,121
BO Boys 0 #617 6 9,244
IL Boys 0 #623 3 10,983
TR 0 #629 1,068 19,440
CL Boys 0 #656 10 13,390
SA Girls 0 #663 274 25,931
IQ Boys 0 #694 4 13,071
QA Boys 0 #698 10 18,093
SY 0 #704 25 11,684
TN 0 #722 108 13,765
BR Boys 0 #731 21 12,213
SG Boys 0 #736 4 17,960
KW Boys 0 #758 12 18,755
PE Boys 0 #827 52 14,506
CO Boys 0 #835 86 15,656
OM Boys 0 #871 11 17,948
United States Boys 2015 #881 5 7,337
EG Girls 0 #881 79 14,742
MX Boys 0 #904 79 16,355
EG Boys 0 #919 7 15,035
Spain Boys 0 #920 11 5,610
Germany Boys 0 #928 25 5,697
NL Boys 0 #930 22 5,873
NG Boys 0 #935 17 16,906
MA 0 #998 131 20,986
IN Boys 0 #1,037 3 16,750
MY Boys 0 #1,098 14 25,439
ZA Boys 0 #1,133 46 25,619
AE Boys 0 #1,136 8 22,615
IT Boys 0 #1,365 107 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,600 15 28,008

Melissa is popular in 98 countries — most recent births per country:

Ireland
Norway
Scotland, United Kingdom
Canada
France

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Melissa

Melissa is predominantly a girl's name.
Melissa is a 3 syllable name, pronounced /məˈlɪsə/ (muh-LISS-uh).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Melisa, Melyssa, Mellissa, Mélissa, Mellisa and Melisse.
Yes, very popular — Melissa ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 14 countries.
Melissa ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Melissa's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2015 to #1 in 2025 in Ireland.
Yes — 2 notable people named Melissa are in our database, including Melissa Auf der Maur (Musician), Melissa Manchester (Musician).
Yes — at least 4 celebrity couples have chosen Melissa for their child, including Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman.