Meaning of the nameMelissa
- Female
- Greek origin
- Me-lis-sa
Melissa is a feminine name of Greek origin, coming from mélissa, 'bee', and also the name of a nymph in Greek mythology.
- People (2022)
- 122,131
- Rank in Brazil
- #266
- Median age
- 8 years
- 2010 Census
- 43,887
- people
Melissa in the 2022 Census
People with the first name Melissa, by the decade they were born. In the chart, 70 = the 1970s and 20+ = 2020 to 2022. The largest group was born in the 2010s (54,818 people).
121,438 women 693 men
Source: IBGE, 2022 Demographic Census, Nomes no Brasil. The census counts the first name of people alive in 2022; small counts are not published, and the first group covers everyone born before 1940. How to read these data.
Where the name Melissa is most common
States with the highest share of people named Melissa in the population, in the 2022 Census.
- São Paulo 0.089%
- Minas Gerais 0.076%
- Mato Grosso 0.066%
- Bahia 0.065%
- Rio Grande do Sul 0.063%
All states
| State | People | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| São Paulo | 39,477 | 0.089% |
| Minas Gerais | 15,575 | 0.076% |
| Bahia | 9,160 | 0.065% |
| Rio de Janeiro | 7,288 | 0.045% |
| Paraná | 7,012 | 0.061% |
| Rio Grande do Sul | 6,856 | 0.063% |
| Ceará | 3,691 | 0.042% |
| Pernambuco | 3,683 | 0.041% |
| Santa Catarina | 3,396 | 0.045% |
| Pará | 3,001 | 0.037% |
| Maranhão | 2,930 | 0.043% |
| Mato Grosso | 2,417 | 0.066% |
| Amazonas | 2,379 | 0.060% |
| Goiás | 2,236 | 0.032% |
| Espírito Santo | 1,786 | 0.047% |
| Distrito Federal | 1,486 | 0.053% |
| Mato Grosso do Sul | 1,467 | 0.053% |
| Rio Grande do Norte | 1,459 | 0.044% |
| Alagoas | 1,229 | 0.039% |
| Paraíba | 1,144 | 0.029% |
| Sergipe | 1,101 | 0.050% |
| Piauí | 915 | 0.028% |
| Rondônia | 891 | 0.056% |
| Tocantins | 649 | 0.043% |
| Acre | 356 | 0.043% |
| Roraima | 292 | 0.046% |
| Amapá | 255 | 0.035% |
States with fewer than 15 people with the name are not shown: IBGE does not publish those counts.
About the name Melissa
Wiktionary traces Melissa to Latin Melissa, which comes from Greek Μέλισσα (Mélissa) and, ultimately, from μέλισσα, 'bee'; Behind the Name gives the same meaning. In Greek mythology, according to Wiktionary, Melissa is the nymph who discovered honey and taught its use. Behind the Name records Melisa as the form of the name in Spanish, Turkish, Albanian and other languages. In the 2022 Census, IBGE recorded 122,131 people named Melissa, with a median age of 8; it is an almost always female name and, proportionally, most common in São Paulo.
It is the traditional spelling, with SS, the same as in Latin and Greek, and the most recorded in the group.
Other spellings of Melissa
| Spelling | People (2022) |
|---|---|
| Melissa | 122,131 |
| Melisa | 7,087 |
Sources
- Wiktionary: Melissa · en.wiktionary.org · meaning
- Behind the Name: Melissa · behindthename.com · meaning
Questions about the name Melissa
What does the name Melissa mean?
Melissa means “bee”, according to Wiktionary and Behind the Name.
How many people are named Melissa in Brazil?
IBGE's 2022 Census recorded 122,131 people with the first name Melissa, which ranks it number 266 among the country's names. The largest group was born in the 2010s.
Is Melissa a boy's or a girl's name?
Melissa is a female name: in the 2022 Census, 121,438 women and 693 men had this name.
What is the origin of the name Melissa?
Melissa is a name of Greek origin. The sources are listed at the end of the page.
In which Brazilian state is Melissa most common?
Proportionally, in São Paulo: 0.089% of the state's population is named Melissa (39,477 people), according to the 2022 Census.
What are the other spellings of Melissa?
Melisa. IBGE counts each spelling separately.
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