78%RatingSave Gender Feminine Usage Literature Pronounced Pron. nə-RIS-ə(English) [key·IPA] Meaning & HistoryExpand Links Created by Shakespeare for a character in his play The Merchant of Venice (1596). He possibly took it from Greek Νηρηΐς (Nereis) meaning "nymph, sea sprite", ultimately derived from the name of the Greek sea god Nereus, who supposedly fathered them. Related NamesFamily Tree·Details Other Languages & CulturesNereida(Spanish) People think this name isRate·Details classic youthful formal upper class natural wholesome delicate refined strange complex serious nerdy Categories educators, invented, literature, nobles, nymphs, ocean, pianists, politics, sea, Shakespearean characters, sprites, water, wet, WITCH characters