# Nerissa (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/nerissa/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. US counts from the Social Security Administration; England and Wales counts from the Office for National Statistics; meaning and etymology from Wiktionary. Data updated 2026-11-11.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Usually given to | girls |
| Origin | Greek |
| Meaning | “sea-nymph” |
| Pronunciation | /nəˈɹɪsə/, 3 syllables |
| Nicknames | none recorded |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |
| US babies named this | 1,977 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 0 / 1,977 (100% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 110, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

Coined by Shakespeare for The Merchant of Venice, apparently from Ancient Greek Νηρηΐς (Nērēḯs, “sea-nymph”).

## Popularity

The last 15 years of each series. A year is missing when too few babies were given the name for the agency to publish it: five in the US, three in England and Wales.

### United States, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 17 | 7,427 |
| 2011 | 9 | 11,901 |
| 2012 | 11 | 10,229 |
| 2013 | 8 | 12,830 |
| 2014 | 14 | 8,376 |
| 2015 | 5 | 18,378 |
| 2016 | 15 | 7,884 |
| 2017 | 15 | 7,740 |
| 2018 | 8 | 12,184 |
| 2019 | 9 | 11,128 |
| 2020 | 8 | 11,831 |
| 2021 | 8 | 11,891 |
| 2023 | 5 | 16,923 |
| 2024 | 6 | 14,792 |
| 2025 | 9 | 10,681 |

### England and Wales, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 5 | 2,770 |
| 2000 | 8 | 1,995 |
| 2001 | 7 | 2,226 |
| 2002 | 4 | 3,409 |
| 2004 | 9 | 2,112 |
| 2005 | 10 | 2,084 |
| 2006 | 3 | 5,061 |
| 2008 | 8 | 2,721 |
| 2009 | 3 | 5,556 |
| 2010 | 3 | 5,707 |
| 2011 | 6 | 3,549 |
| 2012 | 3 | 5,876 |
| 2016 | 4 | 4,763 |
| 2018 | 4 | 4,684 |
| 2022 | 4 | 4,645 |

## How to read these numbers

A count is babies registered with that name in that year, not people alive now, so a name common a century ago can have a large total and few recent births.