Melisa
Melisa was the 2950th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 57 babies. Its best year was 1973, when it ranked 342nd; the most babies were born in 1979 (661). Over the last ten years it has moved down 341 places. More babies were named Melisa in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Melissa) bee, honeybee · Greek
- Rank in 2025
- #2,950 girls, up 529 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 57girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1979661 babies
- Total since 1880
- 19,121babies recorded
What does the name Melisa mean?
Melisa is a spelling of Melissa, pronounced the same way, so it shares Melissa's meaning and origin.
Melissa is the Greek word for "bee" or "honeybee". In Greek myth Melissa was a nymph who fed the infant Zeus with honey, as the Random House dictionary notes, and the name was used by Renaissance poets such as Ariosto. Wiktionary adds that in Ireland it has served as a feminine of Maol Íosa, "servant of Jesus". It was very popular in the US in the 1970s and 1980s.
μέλισσα (Ancient Greek, “bee, honeybee”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Mel, Missy, Melisa, Lissa.
See also: Greek names, names that mean an animal.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Melissa', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Melissa', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
Melisa popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 10 since 1972.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,950 | 57 |
| 2020 | #3,479 | 44 |
| 2010 | #1,655 | 129 |
| 2000 | #998 | 213 |
| 1990 | #778 | 264 |
| 1980 | #405 | 566 |
| 1970 | #410 | 556 |
| 1960 | #882 | 140 |
| 1950 | #5,098 | 6 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Melisa, counting every spelling?
Melisa is a spelling of Melissa, a name family that ranked #404 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,950 for Melisa on its own. Together these spellings went to 810 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melissa | 747 | #420 | 3,976 |
| Melisa | 57 | #2,950 | 268 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Melisa?
57 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Melisa (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Melisa born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 147 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Melisa.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Melisa?
About 18,100 people born in the US named Melisa are alive today, with a median age of 46; half are between 33 and 54. That makes Melisa mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Melisa by state
How common Melisa was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 43 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Melisa: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Melisa, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Melisa
What does Melisa mean?
Melisa is a spelling of Melissa, which means “bee, honeybee” (Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Melisa?
Melisa was the 2950th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 57 babies. Its best year was 1973, when it ranked 342nd; the most babies were born in 1979 (661). Over the last ten years it has moved down 341 places. More babies were named Melisa in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Is Melisa a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Melisa in the US.
Where is Melisa most popular?
In 2021–2025, Melisa was most common in Florida (0.04 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and Tennessee.