A 1970s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Mellisa since 1952
Babies named Mellisa per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 53 |
| 1960s | 551 |
| 1970s | 1,569 |
| 1980s | 1,539 |
| 1990s | 641 |
| 2000s | 184 |
| 2010s | 33 |
| 2020s | 5 |
Meaning & origin
Mellisa is a variant spelling of Melissa, the Greek name meaning 'honeybee'. First recorded in 1952, it saw its peak usage in 1979 and has been rising again since 2022. Though it has not reappeared in the national top 1000, the revival in the 2020s suggests a renewed interest in this classic variant. The name's trajectory shows a modest but steady increase in recent years, reflecting a broader trend of reviving 1970s names.
Mellisa is a variant spelling of Melissa, derived from the Greek word "melissa" (μέλισσα), meaning 'honeybee'. In Greek mythology, Melissa was a nymph who discovered and tended to bees, and the name has been used in various forms across Europe since the Renaissance. The spelling Mellisa, with two L's, emerged as an Americanized variant in the mid-20th century.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Mel, Lisa, Missy, Lissa
Sibling names for Mellisa
Names that share Mellisa's style, for a brother or sister.
