Melissa
Girl nameMelissa has been given to 762,623 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1979 and currently ranks #420 for girls (2025).
Meaning & origin /məˈlɪsə/
From Ancient Greek μέλισσα (mélissa, “bee, honey, or honeybee”). In Ireland it is sometimes used as a feminine form of the Gaelic male name Maol Íosa (literally “servant of Jesus”).
Origin: Ancient Greek
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
762,623
Peak year
1979 (34,179 babies)
Rank in 2025
#420 for girls
First recorded
1880
10-year trend
▼ -42%
Gender split
100% girls / 0% boys
Famous people named Melissa
Melissa Leo
American actress
Missy Elliott
American rapper (born 1971)
Melissa Joan Hart
American actress
Melissa Benoist
American actress and singer
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Melissa.
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