Recent in Baby
When Baby Resists SolidsWhen Baby Resists SolidsBaby Biting TipsBaby Biting Tips5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair Injuries5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair InjuriesWhen Baby and Pet MeetWhen Baby and Pet MeetTreatments for ColicTreatments for ColicBaby Milestones – The First YearBaby Milestones – The First YearTips for Relieving Teething PainTips for Relieving Teething PainBenefits of Making Your Own Baby FoodBenefits of Making Your Own Baby Food

Home › Baby Names Directory › Melisse

Melisse

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Melisse

Pronounced muh-LEES /məˈliːs/Medium

Meaning: Melisse is a French spelling of Melissa, from the Greek melissa, 'bee'. The same word names the fragrant herb lemon balm, long tied to bees and beekeeping, giving the name a sweet, garden-scented sense.Low

In 30 seconds: Melisse is a French form of Melissa, Greek for 'bee' and the name of the herb balm. It stayed rare in the US, peaking around the mid nineteen-seventies (said muh-LEES).
💕 Browse more names
Made for Melisse
Melisse
Custom knit blankets, embroidered with her name.
See Melisse blankets
Amazon affiliate link
mamaraya
Affiliate link
🍼
Essentials for baby
Baby care from Dr. Talbot’s
Bottles, diapering, bath and nasal care — 23 picks.
Dr. Talbot’s · affiliate link
Shop baby essentials
Origin LowFrench, Greek
MeaningMelisse is a French spelling of Melissa, from the Greek melissa, 'bee'. The same word names the fragrant herb lemon balm, long tied to bees and beekeeping, giving the name a sweet, garden-scented sense.
U.S. rank (1989)#11796 ↘ Falling
1989 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1975
Total births (all-time)≈ 273
🌸
Essentials for mom
What she’ll actually want in week one
Peri-bottle, nursing pads, postpartum ice packs — 29 picks from Dr. Talbot’s.
Dr. Talbot’s · affiliate link
Shop mom essentials

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 197519391989

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

Melisse is the French form of Melissa, from the Greek melissa, 'bee', a word that also names the fragrant herb balm. It gives the familiar Melissa a softer, more continental finish, trading the open ending for a crisp French close while keeping the honeyed meaning intact.

It appears thinly in American records in recent decades and reached its slim peak in the mid nineteen-seventies. A girl named Melisse then is in her early fifties today.

Did you know? In Greek myth Melissa was a nymph said to have discovered honey, and the herb balm bears the same name, so Melisse carries a gentle thread of bees and sweetness.
Overall data confidence 40%
References - Melisse — French form of Melissa; Greek 'bee'.

Variations

MelissaMelisaMelysse

Nicknames

MelLissa

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Melisse…

Melissa— the standard name it forms
Melisa— a like single-s variant
Lissa— a short form of the same root
Melinda— a similar soft Mel- name

Explore names like Melisse

By themerareheritagegreekfrench

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Melisse mean?

Melisse is a French form of Melissa, from the Greek melissa, 'bee', also the name of the herb balm.

How do you pronounce Melisse?

It is said muh-LEES /məˈliːs/, two syllables with the stress on the second.

Is Melisse a boy or girl name?

Melisse is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Melisse?

It has always been rare in the United States, given to only about twenty girls a year at its peak in the mid nineteen-seventies.

💬 Ask Nia