Given name · also Italian
Nerissa
“sea-nymph”
Nerissa is a feminine given name from Ancient Greek, meaning “sea-nymph.”
Original Ancient GreekΝηρηΐς
Meaning & origin
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Greek.
How it developed
In English usage, Nerissa developed from Νηρηΐς.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1915. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Nerissa through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,977
- 0 boys · 1,977 girls
- Most popular year
- 1979
- 73 babies
- 2025
- 9
- #10,681 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −49%
- Cooling
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 9 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 10,681 among girls’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for girls was 73 in 1979. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,760 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.
Nerissa’s family of names
In English usage, Nerissa developed from the Ancient Greek form Νηρηΐς. Nerissa is a form of Nereida. Nerissa has a related form in Narissa.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Nerissa, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Thalassa
“from the sea”
>99% girls
Adria
“man from Hadria” · “a man from Hadria”
>99% girls
Melantha
“resembling a dark-violet flower”
>99% girls
Lorena
“crowned with laurel; from the laurel tree”
>99% girls
Yolanda
“resembling the violet flower; modest”
>99% girls
Katrina
“one who is pure; virginal”
>99% girls
Toinette
In French use, Toinette carries the interpretation “priceless and highly praiseworthy; a flourishing flower.”
>99% girls
Dianthe
“the flower of the gods”
>99% girls