Melissa is a feminine given name of Greek origin, derived from the Greek word "melissa", which means "honey bee". It has been popular throughout history, with notable bearers including Melissa Auf der Maur, a Canadian musician and actress, and Melissa Gilbert, an American actress known for her role in "Little House on the Prairie". The name Melissa also appears in literature, such as in Shakespeare's "The Tempest", where it is the name of Ariel's song. In terms of popularity, Melissa was among the top 1000 most popular girl names in the United States from the 1960s to the early 2000s, peaking at number 374 in 1989.
The name Melessa experienced significant popularity spikes between 1964 and 1976, with a peak of 28 births in 1976. However, it seems to have fallen out of favor by the late 1980s, with fewer than 10 births per year since then.