Nerissa

The first name Nerissa, used for girls, can be translated as "the sea nymph" or "the daughter of Nereus." Its roots lie in the ancient Greek Nērēḯs (Νηρηΐς), which means "lake nymph," "sea nymph," and "water nymph."

What does the name Nerissa mean?

Nerissa is a feminine first name that metaphorically means "the sea nymph" or "the daughter of Nereus." The name comes from the ancient Greek Nērēḯs (Νηρηΐς), which indicates "lake nymph," "sea nymph," and "water nymph." It has a connection to the Greek god of the sea, Nereus. Variants of the name include Narissa, Nereid, and Nereida. Nerissa gained fame through Shakespeare's work "The Merchant of Venice."

Where does the name Nerissa come from?

Nerissa is a feminine first name with origins in ancient Greek, meaning "the sea nymph." The ancient Greek word Nērēḯs (Νηρηΐς) is composed of terms for lake nymph, sea nymph, and water nymph. The name can be found in English and Latin American languages.

How do you pronounce Nerissa?

Nerissa is pronounced as 'neh-RIS-sah.'

Popularity

In Germany, Nerissa is considered a rare name that has not yet appeared in the country's name popularity lists. In Austria, it reached its best ranking at 1,899 in 2018. Over the last ten years, Nerissa has been chosen as a first name fewer than ten times, placing it at 5,065 in the ten-year statistics. Between 1984 and 2024, it ranks 7,542 in Austria.

Nicknames & pet names

Beri / Issa / Issy / Neri / Nissa / Rissa

Famous people

• Nerissa (a character in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice)
• Nerissa Bowes-Lyon (cousin of Queen Elizabeth II)
• Nerissa Corazon Soon-Ruiz (politician)
• Nerissa Shale (a character in the urban fantasy 'Sisters of the Moon' by Yasmine Galenorn)