Melissa

Ancient Greek μέλισσα (mélissa, “honey bee”) (compare Melissa), which in turn comes from μέλι (méli, “honey”).

Melissa f

1. A taxonomic genus within the family Lamiaceae – lemon balm.

• (genus): Eukaryota – superkingdom; Plantae – kingdom; Viridiplantae – subkingdom; Streptophyta – infrakingdom; Embryophyta – superphylum; Tracheophyta – phylum; Spermatophytina – subphylum; angiosperms, eudicots, core eudicots, asterids, euasterids I - clades; Lamiales - order; Lamiaceae - family; Nepetoideae - subfamily; Mentheae - tribe; Salvinae - subtribe

• (genus): Melissa officinalis - type species; Melissa axillaris, Melissa flava, Melissa yunnanensis - other species

• Melissa (plant) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Melissa on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Melissa (Lamiaceae) on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
• Melissa at USDA Plants database

From Ancient Greek μέλισσα (mélissa, “bee, honey, or honeybee”). In Ireland it is sometimes used as a feminine form of the Gaelic male name Maol Íosa (literally “servant of Jesus”).

• (US) IPA^(key): /məˈlɪsə/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪsə

Melissa

1. (Greek mythology) Bee-nymph in Greek mythology.
2. A female given name from Ancient Greek. Popular in the latter half of the 20th century.
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto XII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     And her owne handmayd, that Melissa hight / Appointed to attend her dewly day and night

   • 1840 April – 1841 November, Charles Dickens, “(please specify the chapter number or name)”, in The Old Curiosity Shop. A Tale. […], London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1841, →OCLC:

     Miss Melissa Wackles was the eldest daughter, Miss Sophy the next, and Miss Jane the youngest.

   • 1959, Nicholas Blake, The Widow's Cruise, page 9:

     - - - by Mrs. Melissa Blaydon and Miss Ianthe Ambrose.
     "Well, they may be sisters," said Nigel. "Those elegant, classical Christian names suggest one father.

• Melitta (< μέλιττα (mélitta))

• Esmails, Maisels, Milases, Salemis, aimless, mesails, samiels, seismal

Melissa

1. a female given name, equivalent to English Melissa

From Ancient Greek μέλισσα (mélissa).

• IPA^(key): /ˈmelisːɑ/, [ˈme̞lis̠ːɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -elisːɑ
• Syllabification^(key): Me‧lis‧sa

Melissa

1. a female given name

• Melissa is the 330^th (tied with 1 other name) most common female given name in Finland, belonging to 1,361 female individuals (and as a middle name to 1,036 more), according to February 2023 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

From Ancient Greek μέλισσα (mélissa, “bee”).

• IPA^(key): /meˈlɪsa/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Me‧lis‧sa

Melissa

1. a female given name, equivalent to English Melissa

• IPA^(key): /meˈlis.sa/
• Rhymes: -issa
• Hyphenation: Me‧lìs‧sa

Melissa f

1. a female given name, equivalent to English Melissa

• limasse, messali

Borrowed from Latin Melissa, from Ancient Greek Μέλισσα (Mélissa), from μέλισσα (mélissa, “bee”).

Melissa f

1. a female given name from Ancient Greek, equivalent to English Melissa
2. (Greek mythology) Melissa (nymph who discovered and taught the use of honey)

• Audio

  (file)

Melissa c (genitive Melissas)

1. a female given name, equivalent to English Melissa