Melissa

Meaning: Its source is a Greek expression meaning "Bee or honey."

Languages: This girl's name is used in Dutch, English and Spanish.

Nicknames: Lissa, Meli, Miss, Missy, Mel, Missie, Lissy, Tissa, Tiss and Misa

Compound Forms: Sharissa

Alternative Spellings: Malisa, Malissa, Mellisa, Mellissa and Milissa

Variant Forms: Malessa, Melise, Melissia and Selissa

Non-English Forms: Melisa, Misha and Melisande

Popularity: The name Melissa ranked 77th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics, 30th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census and 28th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1994 US Census.

This name is highly rated both on the 1990 U.S. Census list and in state data recording the most popular baby names.

Narrative: Used as a name in ancient times, Melissa has continued to attract the attention of poets, playwrights and songwriters throughout the centuries.

The Italian epic poet Ariosto chose Melissa as the name for a good witch in his Orlando Furioso of 1537. The 19th-century novelist Charles Dickens and his contemporaries, the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson and the musical theatre team of Gilbert and Sullivan, all made use of the name.

These set the stage for its great popularity in the 20th century. When guitar virtuoso Gregg Allman penned his rock ballad ''Sweet Melissa'' in the 1960s, he continued the longstanding artistic tradition of celebrating this name.

Arts and Music

Melissa Manchester (born 1951)
American singer and songwriter.
- 1982 Grammy winner for best female vocal performance, for ''''You Should Hear How She Talks about You'''' (see list of Grammy winners for Best Vocal Performance)

Miscellaneous

Melissa Hayden (born 1923)
American actress.
- 1952 Mademoiselle Award winner (see list of Mademoiselle Award Winners)
Melissa Peterson
- American model (see list of Fashion Models)

Sports

Melissa Belote
American athlete.
- 1972 Olympic swimming gold medal winner for 100m and 200m backstroke (see list of Olympic Gold Medalists in Miscellaneous Swimming Events)
Melissa Purdy
- Member of America-cubed sailing team that competed for the America''s Cup in 1995 (see list of Members of the America-cubed Yachting Team)

Stage and Screen

Melissa Sue Anderson (born 1962)
American actress.
- Portrayed Mary Ingalls Kendall (see list of Actors on ''Little House on the Prairie'')
Melissa Gilbert (born 1964)
American actress.
- Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television (see list of Television Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Portrayed Laura Ingalls Wilder (see list of Actors on ''Little House on the Prairie'')
Melissa Hayden (born 1923)
American actress.
- Actress on soap opera ''''Guiding Light'''' (see list of Performers on ''Guiding Light'')
Melissa Walter
Fictional character.
- Character in Nous irons a Monte Carlo (see list of see Audrey Hepburn's Roles)


Malessa
Malisa
Malissa
Melisa
Mellisa
Mellissa
Milissa
Malaika
Maleka
Malika
Melika
Milica
Malachie
Malachy
Mahlkiya
Malkia
Mahlkia
Malachi
Maleko
Malachai
Malakhi
Malkiyah
Melise
Melissia
Pamela