Aisling vs Melissa
Aisling and Melissacompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Aisling was ranked #180 and Melissa #173 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Aisling was ranked #418 and Melissa #266 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Aisling was ranked #1892 and Melissa #321 among girls in England and Wales.
Aisling and Melissa over time
Aisling and Melissa appear together in 3 published lists, across 116 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Melissa reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Aisling in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2025, Melissa moved ahead of Aisling in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #154 and #342 the year before became #180 and #173.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Aisling and Melissa changed places 12 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2022, ending at #418 and #266.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 25 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Aisling and Melissa averaged 43.4 places apart, ending at #418 and #266.
- Longest-running competitions
Aisling and Melissa were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1892 and #321.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Aisling #391 in 1998, Melissa #46 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls61 shared years, 1964–2025
Aisling held the stronger position in 60 of those years, Melissa in 1.
Highest recorded here: Aisling #8 in 1991, Melissa #48 in 1984.
The order changed in 2025: Melissa moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #154 and #342; by 2025 that had become #180 and #173.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aisling #180, Melissa #173.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Aisling held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Melissa in 30.
Highest recorded here: Aisling #391 in 1998, Melissa #46 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aisling #1892, Melissa #321.
Northern Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 1997–2022
Aisling held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Melissa in 12.
Highest recorded here: Aisling #60 in 1998, Melissa #43 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Aisling #418, Melissa #266.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Aisling | Melissa |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Means 'bee' in Greek. Borne in mythology by a daughter of Procles and used as an epithet for various nymphs and priestesses; appears in Ludovico Ariosto's 1532 poem Orlando Furioso. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Greek |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /mə.ˈlɪs.ə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #180 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #173 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Melissa has a recorded origin (Greek); Aisling does not have one recorded yet.
- Aisling has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Melissa.
- A meaning is recorded for Melissa; Aisling doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Aisling
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #154 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1991 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1892 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Melissa
Popularity journey
First recorded1962
First recorded at #78 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1962 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1962–2000
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1977 (recorded 1962–2000).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #321 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls