11 June 2011

Behind the Name

MELISSA

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Dutch, Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: Μελισσα (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: mə-LIS-ə (English) [key]

Means "bee" in Greek. This was the name of a nymph that cared for young Zeus in Greek mythology. It is also the name of the fairy who helps Rogero escape from the witch Alcina in Ludovico Ariosto's poem 'Orlando Furioso' (1516). As an English given name, Melissa has been used since the 18th century.
http://www.behindthename.com/name/melissa

1 comment:

  1. And of course from Scottish ancestry...."honey bee", the one we chose.

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