Given name
Melisa
Melisa is a feminine given name from Greek. It is used in Turkish and Albanian.
Meaning & origin
Where it comes from
Melisa is a variant of Melissa. An origin associated with Melissa is Greek.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1948. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Melisa is a variant of Melissa. The history of Melissa gives this family its wider story. In Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso, Melissa is the benevolent witch who frees Rogero from Alcina. Separately, Melissa has also been used in Ireland as an English form of Maoilíosa; the two contexts should not be collapsed into one origin.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Melisa through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 19,121
- 10 boys · 19,111 girls
- Most popular year
- 1979
- 661 babies
- 2025
- 57
- #2,950 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −18%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 57 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,950 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 18.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 661 in 1979. In 2025, Florida had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (6). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 18,912 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Melisa’s family of names
Melisa has a related form in Melissa. In Turkish usage, Melisa has a conventional equivalent in the English form Melissa. In Polish usage, Melisa has a related form in Melissa.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Melisa has relatives in 5 languages.
5 related names in 5 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 4
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 6
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Melisa
- Melisa SözenTurkish actor (born 1985)
- Melisa Aslı PamukMiss Turkey 2011, contestant at Miss Universe 2011, actress and modelborn 1991
- Melisa DöngelTurkish actor and fashion model (born 1999)
- Melisa Wallackscreenwriter, film director, and former business managerborn 1968
- Melai CantiverosFilipino actress and comedianborn 1988
- Kid SisterAmerican rapperborn 1980
- Melisa ŞenolsunTurkish actor (born 1996)
- Melisa MurilloColombian sprinterborn 1982
- Mel FilisIrish association football player (born 2002)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Melisa, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Maribel
Maribel is used as a given name and a surname. Maribel is connected with Mary.
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