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Home › Baby Names Directory › Merissa

Merissa

♀ Girl

Pronounced muh-RIS-uh /məˈrɪsə/High

Meaning: Merissa is an e-for-a respelling of Marissa, itself a decorative extension of Maria and Marisa; the family is often read through Latin maris, 'of the sea'. The switched vowel keeps the sound identical while giving the name a fresh look.Medium

In 30 seconds: Merissa is Marissa with the opening vowel swapped (muh-RIS-uh) — a Maria offshoot often tied to the Latin for 'sea'.
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Origin MediumEnglish, Latin
MeaningMerissa is an e-for-a respelling of Marissa, itself a decorative extension of Maria and Marisa; the family is often read through Latin maris, 'of the sea'. The switched vowel keeps the sound identical while giving the name a fresh look.
U.S. rank (2019)#14974 ↘ Falling
2019 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1995
Total births (all-time)≈ 3,412

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 199519622019

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

Merissa belongs to the Marissa family, a group of flowing -issa names that grew out of Maria and the Latin sense of the sea. American parents chasing a slightly individual look swapped the first a for an e, a common eighties-and-nineties move that kept the pronunciation untouched.

Someone named Merissa at its 1995 crest is now about thirty. The spelling reads as a period respelling rather than a classic, and it hasn't caught the vintage-revival wave — Marissa itself remains the recognizable anchor. A clean pick for a parent who likes the sound but wants a rarer spelling.

Did you know? Marissa and its respellings rode the same soft, rhythmic wave as Melissa and Clarissa; Merissa specifically topped out in 1995 before the whole cluster cooled.
Overall data confidence 68%
References — Merissa — Respelling of Marissa (elaboration of Maria; Latin maris)

Variations

MarissaMarisaMerisa

Nicknames

RissaMeri

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Merissa…

Marissa— the standard spelling Merissa varies
Melissa— shares the soft -issa rhythm and era
Clarissa— same three-beat -issa family
Marisa— a sister form from the same Maria root

Explore names like Merissa

By themerespellingnineties

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Merissa mean?

Merissa is a spelling of Marissa, an elaboration of Maria often linked to Latin maris, 'of the sea'.

How do you pronounce Merissa?

It's said muh-RIS-uh /məˈrɪsə/ — three syllables, stress on the middle.

Is Merissa a boy or girl name?

Merissa is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Merissa?

Merissa was an uncommon spelling of Marissa that peaked in the mid-nineties and has faded since.

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