Nerissa

N1E1R1I1S1S1A1
/nəˈɹɪsə/

proper noun

A female given name from Ancient Greek.

OriginAncient Greek Νηρηΐς →
UncommonScrabble 7
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. A female given name from Ancient Greek.

    Well, while I live, I’ll fear no other thing So sore as keeping safe Nerissa’s ring.

    c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)]
    1 more example

    When Nerissa saw the worm her immediate reaction was to kill, for she disliked its sliminess and crawlingness.

    1958, The Literary Review, volume 2, page 188

Origin

  1. Ancient GreekΝηρηΐς“sea-nymph”
  2. EnglishNerissa

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

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with Nerissa

melissaAlyssaMarissaclarissaLarissaAlissaElissamantissalyssaCharissaElyssaArtemisa
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

Nerissa. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Nerissa

MLA

“Nerissa.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Nerissa. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Nerissa,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Nerissa.

Source: Nerissa on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.