Girl

Nerissa

nuh-RIS-uh

Rare & Uncommon ↑ Rising

✦ Meaning

“From Greek 'nereid,' meaning sea nymph. Shakespeare used this name in The Merchant of Venice for Portia's witty attendant.”

Popularity Over Time

Nerissa US popularity rank over timeRank 17169 in 2015 to rank 1575 in 1979. Lower rank numbers are more popular.#1575#9372#17169191519401960198020002024

Nerissa is not currently in the US top 1000.

Origin

Greek

Syllables

3

Nicknames

neririssa

Style

LiteraryElegantRomanticEthereal

Famous Bearers

  • Nerissa (The Merchant of Venice)
  • Nerissa Croft (Tomb Raider)

Collections

Literary Names → Mythological Names → Beautiful But Not Top 100 →

Similar Names

Calista

Greek Rare & Uncommon

Naida

Greek Rare & Uncommon

Nerida

Greek Rare & Uncommon

Nerina

Greek Rare & Uncommon

Cordelia

Celtic Rare & Uncommon

Sibling Name Ideas

Isolde

Celtic Rare & Uncommon

Cordelia

Celtic Rare & Uncommon

Rosalind

Latin Rare & Uncommon

Imogen

Celtic Rare & Uncommon

Evangeline

French Beautiful But Not Top 100

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Cross-Cultural Notes

Greek-derived with Shakespearean heritage

People Also Ask

From Greek 'nereid,' meaning sea nymph. Shakespeare used this name in The Merchant of Venice for Portia's witty attendant.

Nerissa is not currently in the US top 1000, making it a genuinely rare choice. It's trending up as more parents discover it.

Popular nicknames for Nerissa include neri, rissa.

Names that pair beautifully with Nerissa include Isolde, Cordelia, Rosalind, Imogen, Evangeline.