Thoughts on Nerissa?

[Janedamaz]

Hi MNers,

I was pretty set on Lucy or Esme for our baby girl due in 3 weeks when a name suggested along these baby names threads stopped me in my tracks...

Nerissa

It’s the name of Portia’s lady-in-waiting in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice.

What are your thoughts on this name? Our last name is one syllable.
I find it absolutely stunning but wonder if it’s not too “out there” or if she will spend her life correcting people on how to pronounce and spell it.

Ps: don’t remember where it was suggested so I can’t give credit where it is due but will if I find it, promise!

Update from DH “makes him think of Nessie the Loch Ness Monster” (sigh 😂) and we wonder why we still don’t have a name 3 weeks from the birth!
But he’s open to it in the middle and Lucy Nerissa is gorgeous in my opinion and as another poster said :)
Thanks for all your suggestions and feedback, love these baby name threads!

I think it’s beautiful and much more interesting than Lucy.

I also really like Nerina.

I went to school with a Nerissa

Nerissa was one of the nieces of the Queen Mother.

I love it and would definitely put it above Esme. Love Lucy too though.

I like it.

But if you really like Lucy and DH wants something fancier, what about Lucilla or Lucinda, and she can be Lucy for short?

Lucy and Esme are both boring
Nerissa is much more interesting. So what if the character gets "shagged" in the merchant of Venice??

Sounds like rissoles.

I think Nerissa is lovely! Not a commonly used name, but not weird or made up sounding. Much nicer than the rather dull Lucy.

@SlummingAngel

Nerissa was one of the nieces of the Queen Mother.

I love it and would definitely put it above Esme. Love Lucy too though.

Very sad story and recently shown in The Crown so Nerissa Bowes-Lyon was my first thought ... but of course that won’t affect any of her peers. I do prefer Lucy or Esme but it’s a nice choice for middle name.

99.999% of people on this forum have been shagged, too.

I like Nerissa and Lucy Nerissa is lovely.

Larissa is nice too.

Lucy Nerissa would be nice

I don't like it, sorry. I just don't think it sounds nice, the N sound at the start is very harsh compared with the rest of the name.
Lucy and Esme are far nicer.

I worked with a Larissa once. Still think it's one of the most beautiful names ever!

I like Nerissa. I'd say 7/10
As a side note I also like Portia

Lucy for me

Having a semi-unusual name myself, I can't see the attraction. All that spelling out to people over the years, and quite a lot of people harumph at you like it's your fault they don't know it or can't spell it.

There's an awful lot of people who can't spell either, even when you've spelled it out letter by letter. Spelling out (using my own experience) would go like this ( n.b my name is NOT actually Nerissa! but just using it to illustrate my point

Person: First name please?
Me: Nerissa.
Person: Say what?
Me: Nerissa.
Person. Oh. I don't know how to spell that.
Me. (nicely) Oh, no problem! It's N-E-R-I-S-S-A.
Person. (slightly annoyed). Um. N-E- what?
Me. (Slightly slower, but not so slow as to risk accusation of patronising or passive aggression). N-E-R-I-S..
Person: Wait a minute. You say N-E-I?
Me. (cringing a little inside). Er, no. It's N-E-R-I-...
Person (interrupts) Yes I got that. What's the rest of it?
Me: S-S-A.
Person. Ok.

I look to see - they will have written Melissa. Or Jessica. Or Merisa.

By this point you are then faced with whether to correct them and go through it again or accept that you will be Merisa for the duration. (dependent on how important the occasion is that your name is spelled correctly. If it's not important I just leave it).

I have also assumed on past experience that someone won't know how to spell my name so I make a little joke that it's a bit unusual before going ahead, and they interrupt that thank YOU but they know how to spell it already, thank YOU. Can't win.

Very curious as to what your name is @TwinkleFairyLight! Your explanation made me laugh. Very accurate!

It's not that she's been shagged (she actually hasn't at this point, I don't think). But it's a famous joke in the world of Shakespeare! Basically a plot point hinges on Nerissa convincing her new husband to give away (to her, in disguise) his wedding ring. It's a pun - he will spend the rest of his life keeping her "ring" to himself. It's just a decent bit of smutty humour but it's the first thing I think of when I see the name, especially as her name is actually in the line.

My name isn't made up (it's a proper name) or unheard of, or misspelt. (All of those I could understand a puzzlement to). It's just not very common

As a child I dreamed of being something like a Lucy - a pretty, timeless, classic sort of name and everyone knows how to spell it. I think having a slightly uncommon name somehow embarrasses some people who don't like admitting they don't know something (ie how to spell it) and don't like then having to ask and also listen/be dictated to in terms of spelling. It puts some people on the defensive. Obviously that's their problem, but a sensitive type can internalise that perceived annoyed vibe (well I did as a child). It's probably fine if you're a confident sort of person but I was shy as a child and my slightly unusual name sometimes made me feel more awkward.

Gorgeous. I don't know why Nerissa isn't used more often. To me it has a classy, elegant vibe (possibly due to it's obvious Shakespearean roots) I also love the similar Spanish Nereida ("Neh -ray- dah" - has the same "of the sea" meaning as Nerissa).

Esme and Lucy are okay (although I much prefer Esme of the two, especially if pronounced Es-May ) but I'd chose Nerissa over either.

Nerissa is ok. Lucy is a lot nicer imo. Esme, despite the Salinger connection, is now a bit overdone / of the moment, for my tastes. But there's nothing wrong with any of those names. Lucy is my favourite though.

An acquaintance of mine named her now 12yo Nerissa. Nice, unusual but not way out. They called her Neri for short.

Esme is a wet name. Lucy is a Labrador, but a nice one. Nerissa is the cool kid. The only one I know does vfx for film.

Nerissa is absolutely gorgeous. Lucy Nerissa or Nerissa Lucy is perfection.

Malfoy’s Mum is Narcissa.
I prefer Nerys and Larissa, but I think Nerissa is pretty too.