♡
Why parents love Melissa- The meaning honey bee is sweet and industrious.
- Melissa McCarthy is one of the funniest, most beloved actresses alive.
- Three syllables with a soft, melodic sound: meh-LISS-ah.
- Mel, Lissa, and Missy are all familiar nicknames.
- It peaked in the 80s and carries warm generational nostalgia.
◎
The vibe of Melissa
honeybeeindustrioussweetGreekmelodicwarmgenerational
◎
Origin & history of Melissa
Greek μέλισσα (melissa, honey bee)
→ English Melissa
1
Dutch / English / Greek roots
Melissa comes from the Greek melissa, meaning honey bee. In Greek mythology, Melissa was the nymph who discovered how to collect honey and fed it to the infant Zeus in his cave on Crete. The lemon balm plant is called Melissa because bees are attracted to its flowers. Melissa peaked in the US top 5 in the 1970s-80s. Melissa McCarthy became one of Hollywood's highest-paid actresses. The Allman Brothers Band's Melissa (1972) is a classic rock standard.
2
First recorded
Earliest known use: Ancient Greece — Melissa was a nymph who discovered honey; used as a given name since the 18th century.
3
Today
Melissa remains a beloved choice, ranking #332 in the US. 761,881 babies have been named Melissa since 1880.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, Oxford Dictionary of First Names, SSA data
◆
How popular is Melissa?
1979
peak year
Melissa hit its high-water mark in 1979, when it became one of the country's most popular names — #2 nationally, with 34,050 babies given the name that year. It had been quietly building for over half a century before that, first appearing in records in 1880. Since the peak, the name has eased to around #332 today, averaging about 986 new babies per year. Melissa has been declining in recent years. Across all years on record, approximately 761,881 American babies have carried this name.
Year-by-year registrations
1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
34,050
Babies named in peak year
(ranked #2)
(ranked #2)
986
Avg. per year
(last decade)
(last decade)
9,860
Total registrations
last 10 years
last 10 years
761,881
All-time total
(since 1880)
(since 1880)
✦
Numerology of Melissa6
Life path number
The Nurturer
Nurturing, love and responsibility.
Melissa's Life Path 4 is the builder's number — the industrious bee. People named Melissa tend to be hardworking, sweet-natured, and gifted at creating abundance through consistent effort.
♡
Industrious sweetness✦
Creates abundance◈
Hardworking and warm◎
Bee-like focus♡
Nourishes everyoneM4
E5
L3
I9
S1
S1
A1
Sum: 24 → Life path 6
♡
Personality of Melissa❤️
Nurturing heart
They notice when someone is struggling before anyone else.
🏡
Creates warmth
Their circle is warmer for their presence.
⚖️
Strong morals
They know what's right and stand by it.
🌸
Quietly selfless
They give and give, often without realising how much.
◆
Famous people named MelissaClick any name to view their Wikipedia page.
◎
If you like Melissa, you may also love◎
Names that sound like MelissaIf you love Melissa, you might love these names with a similar sound, rhythm or feel.
♩
Names that combine with MelissaSibling pairings that share the timeless, classic energy of Melissa.
♡
Middle names for MelissaThe right middle name turns Melissa into a complete story. Explore options for first-and-middle pairings, then last-name flow.
Want a personalised middle name for Melissa? Try our dedicated generator with 1,000+ pairings.
♡ Generate middle name for Melissa →✦
Numerology life path calculatorEnter any full name and date of birth to discover the life path number — a core numerological indicator of personality, purpose and destiny.
First name
Middle name (optional)
Last name
Date of birth
7
Life path number
How we calculated this
Melissa is a beautiful choice.
Save it to your list, share it with your partner, or keep exploring.