Save Gender Feminine Usage Literature Pronounced Pron. /ˈnɛs.ə ˈɹoʊz/ [key·simplify] Other Forms FormsNessa, Nessie Meaning & History Combination of Nessa 1 and Rose. This is the name of the Wicked Witch of the East in Gregory Maguire's "Wicked" and its musical adaptation. In the novel, she's born without arms and she is deeply religious, then goes mad with power.