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Melissa is a given name for a female child. The name comes from Greek μέλισσα (melissa), "honey bee" and that from μέλι (meli), "honey".

According to Greek mythology, perhaps reflecting Minoan culture in making her the daughter of a Cretan king Melissos, Melissa was a nymph who discovered and taught the use of honey and from whom bees were believed to have received their name. She was one of the nymphic nurses of Zeus, sister to Amaltheia, but rather than feeding the baby milk, Melissa, appropriately for her name fed him honey. Or, alternatively, the bees brought honey straight to his mouth. Because of her, Melissa became the name of all the nymphs who cared for the patriarch god as a baby.

Greek: Honey Bee

Persian: Red Rose

Latin: Nymph

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13y ago

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