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Melisha

♀ Girl

Pronounced muh-LEE-shuh /məˈliː.ʃə/Medium

Meaning: Melisha is a late-twentieth-century American coinage. It fuses the classic Melissa — Greek for 'honeybee' — or its shorter Melisa with the popular -isha ending heard across many names of the seventies and eighties. The result borrows Melissa's sweetness while sounding distinctly of its era.Low

In 30 seconds: Melisha is a coined name blending Melissa with the -isha ending. It borrows Melissa's 'honeybee' sweetness in a modern shape and crested around 1980.

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Origin LowEnglish

MeaningMelisha is a late-twentieth-century American coinage. It fuses the classic Melissa — Greek for 'honeybee' — or its shorter Melisa with the popular -isha ending heard across many names of the seventies and eighties. The result borrows Melissa's sweetness while sounding distinctly of its era.

U.S. rank (2014)#18334 ↘ Falling

2014 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1980

Total births (all-time)≈ 912

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Melisha reads as Melissa reimagined. Melissa comes from the Greek for 'honeybee' and was one of the most popular American names of the nineteen-seventies; blending its opening with the -isha ending so common in that decade produced fresh coinages like this one. The link to Melissa is one of sound, not of a separate root.

Its arc is short and self-contained, cresting around 1980 and fading soon after — the mark of a coined name rather than an inherited one. Melisha has not revived, and while Melissa itself may eventually cycle back, this blended form remains a period creation.

Did you know? Melisha is a name of its moment: it appears from the early nineteen-sixties, rises with the -isha names of the seventies, and crests around 1980 at roughly five dozen girls a year. A girl given it then is in her forties now.

Overall data confidence 45%

References — Melisha — coinage blending Melissa (Greek 'honeybee') + -isha; 1980 crest

Variations

MelissaMelisaMalishaMelesha

Nicknames

MelLishaMissy

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Melisha…

Melissa— the classic name it is blended from

Lakisha— a like -isha coinage of the same decade

Tanisha— shares the -isha ending and era

Felisha— another Felicia/Melissa-style coinage of the time

Explore names like Melisha

By thememodern coined seventies

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Melisha mean?

Melisha is a modern blend of Melissa — Greek for 'honeybee' — with the -isha ending; the meaning comes by echo of Melissa.

How do you pronounce Melisha?

It's said muh-LEE-shuh — three syllables, stress in the middle.

Is Melisha a boy or girl name?

Melisha is a girl's name.

Is Melisha making a comeback?

No — it was a brief coinage around 1980 and has stayed rare since.