Girl name · Greek
Melissa
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: honey beeMelissa is a girl's name that comes from Greek and means "honey bee". It is used in English, Spanish, Italian and Greek.
- Meaning
- Honey bee
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #420 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Melissa
As a girl's name, Melissa comes from Greek and means "honey bee". It is used in English, Spanish, Italian and Greek.
In Greek, say meh-LEE-sah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Melissa on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Melissa on 3 lists.
“Greek for honeybee, a classic girl's name”
From Bee names, names that mean bee
“Bee; Greek. Say meh-LEE-sah”
From Greek girl names, greek nature names for girls
“Honeybee; Greek. Say meh-LEE-sah”
From Mexican girl names, modern Mexican baby girl names
How popular is Melissa?
- US rank in 2025
- #420
- 747 babies, 465 per million girls
- Best rank
- #2 in 1977
- Most babies: 34,050 in 1979
- Babies since 1880
- At least 760,128
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 325 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 180 per million |
| 1900s | 110 per million |
| 1910s | 63 per million |
| 1920s | 44 per million |
| 1930s | 62 per million |
| 1940s | 196 per million |
| 1950s | 1,159 per million |
| 1960s | 6,526 per million |
| 1970s | 16,390 per million |
| 1980s | 12,688 per million |
| 1990s | 4,998 per million |
| 2000s | 1,766 per million |
| 2010s | 815 per million |
| 2020s | 500 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #260 | #275 | #299 | #340 | #349 | #372 | #379 | #411 | #379 | #420 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Melissa
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- MelisBee (Greek, girl)
Names spelled like Melissa
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- MeliaPlumeria flower (Hawaiian, girl)
- MelikaHoneybee (Greek, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- DeborahA bee (Hebrew, girl)
- AselHoney (Arabic, girl)
- DeboraA bee (Hebrew, girl)
- IracemaHoney lips (Tupi, girl)
- IraciHoney and mother (Tupi, girl)
- JaciraMoon and honey (Tupi, girl)
- MiskiHoney (Quechua, girl)
- ShahdHoney (Arabic, girl)
Middle names for Melissa
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Greek
- AlexandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- IrenePeace, tranquility (Greek, girl)
- IrisA rainbow (Greek, girl)
- SofiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- SophieWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- ZoeLife, living (Greek, girl)
- AnastasiaResurrection, rising again (Greek, girl)
- ChristinaFollower of Christ (Greek, girl)
- NicoleVictory of the people (Greek, girl)
Melissa: common questions
What does the name Melissa mean?
Melissa comes from Greek and means "honey bee". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Melissa a boy or girl name?
Melissa is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Melissa come from?
Melissa comes from Greek and means "honey bee". Today it is used in English, Spanish, Italian and Greek.
How popular is the name Melissa?
Melissa ranked #420 in the US in 2025, with 747 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Melissa?
Forms of Melissa with the same meaning and origin include Melis (Turkish).
What middle names go with Melissa?
Middle names that flow well with Melissa include Alice, Anne, Daisy, Elise and Esme. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.