The first name Nerissa
A girl’s name from Greek meaning “sea-nymph”.
Pronounced /nəˈɹɪsə/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Greek origin
Nerissa means “sea-nymph” in Greek.
Coined by Shakespeare for The Merchant of Venice, apparently from Ancient Greek Νηρηΐς (Nērēḯs, “sea-nymph”).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Nerissa last appeared in the official list in 2022, given to 4 girls. It peaked in 1996, with 16 births (#1,168).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Nerissa with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Nerissa at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 9 girls born in the United States were named Nerissa, the 10,681st most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1979, when 73 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
More Greek girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Nerissa mean?
- Nerissa means “sea-nymph” in Greek.
- What is the origin of the name Nerissa?
- Coined by Shakespeare for The Merchant of Venice, apparently from Ancient Greek Νηρηΐς (Nērēḯs, “sea-nymph”).
- How popular is the name Nerissa?
- In 2022, 4 girls born in England and Wales were named Nerissa, ranking 4,645th. Its peak was 1996, with 16 births.
- Is Nerissa a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 1,977 US babies named Nerissa since 1880 were girls.
- When was Nerissa most popular?
- 1979 in the United States, when 73 babies were named Nerissa, its highest rank at 1,585th.
- How do you pronounce Nerissa?
- Nerissa is /nəˈɹɪsə/, 3 syllables.