Melissa

A name with a buzz behind it, Melissa comes from the Greek melissa, honeybee, which in turn traces to meli, honey, linking the name to an ancient priestess of Demeter and a nymph who, in Cretan myth, nursed the infant Zeus on honey. The name dominated American nurseries through the 1970s and 80s, peaking in the top ten and then receding as its generation moved into adulthood. It now sits in a quieter mid-range rank, worn by mothers more than babies. Three honeyed syllables, the double S hushing at the center. Melissa reads warm, capable, immediately likable.