Find out how popular the last name Melissa is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Melissa.

Melissa, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Melissa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Melissa in America

Melissa is the 134712th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Melissa surname appeared 125 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Melissa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Melissa to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Melissa

The surname MELISSA has its origins in ancient Greece. It is derived from the Greek word "melissa" which means "honey bee". This name likely originated as a nickname for someone who was associated with bees or honey production.

In ancient Greek mythology, MELISSA was also the name of a nymph who discovered and taught the use of honey. The name first appeared in written records dating back to the 5th century BCE, when it was mentioned in the works of ancient Greek writers and poets.

During the Middle Ages, the name MELISSA was occasionally used as a surname in various regions of Europe, particularly in Italy and Spain, where it was influenced by the Romance languages. However, it remained relatively uncommon until the Renaissance period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MELISSA can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Cava de' Tirreni monastery in Italy, dating back to the 11th century. In this document, a person named "Petrus Melissa" is mentioned.

In the 13th century, a notable figure with the surname MELISSA was Guglielmo Melissa, an Italian jurist and legal scholar from Naples. He was born around 1220 and is known for his contributions to the development of medieval Roman law.

Another historical figure with the surname MELISSA was Bartolomeo Melissa, an Italian painter from the 16th century. He was active in Naples and is known for his religious works, including altarpieces and frescoes.

During the Renaissance, the surname MELISSA also appeared in Spain, likely influenced by the Italian variant. One example is Miguel Melissa, a Spanish clergyman and writer who lived in the late 16th century and authored several religious texts.

In the 17th century, the surname MELISSA can be found in records from the Netherlands, where it was sometimes spelled as "Melissen". For example, Pieter Melissen was a Dutch scholar and writer born in 1635, known for his works on theology and philosophy.

Throughout history, the surname MELISSA has maintained its connection to the ancient Greek roots, albeit with variations in spelling and regional usage. While not a widespread surname, it has been present across Europe for centuries, carried by notable individuals from various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Melissa

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Melissa.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Melissa was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Melissa has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Melissa was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Melissa, please contact us.

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