Bridget vs Melissa
Bridget 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.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1991, Bridget was ranked #95 and Melissa #14 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Bridget was ranked #213 and Melissa #173 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Bridget was ranked #418 and Melissa #266 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Bridget was ranked #1007 and Melissa #280 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Bridget was ranked #790 and Melissa #541 among girls in Scotland.
Bridget and Melissa over time
Bridget and Melissa appear together in 4 published lists, across 122 years of shared records. Melissa held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Bridget in 1.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 of the lists they share.
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 Bridget in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #243 and #342 the year before became #213 and #173.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Bridget and Melissa changed places 13 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2025, ending at #213 and #173.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 22 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Bridget and Melissa averaged 57.2 places apart, ending at #95 and #14.
- Longest-running competitions
Bridget and Melissa were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 61 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #213 and #173.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Bridget #444 in 1998, Melissa #46 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls61 shared years, 1964–2025
Bridget held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Melissa in 29.
Highest recorded here: Bridget #8 in 1964, Melissa #48 in 1984.
The order changed in 2025: Melissa moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #243 and #342; by 2025 that had become #213 and #173.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Bridget #213, Melissa #173.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Bridget held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Melissa in 29.
Highest recorded here: Bridget #444 in 1998, Melissa #46 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bridget #1007, Melissa #280.
New Zealand · Girls22 shared years, 1967–1991
Bridget held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Melissa in 22.
Highest recorded here: Bridget #45 in 1974, Melissa #7 in 1984.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1991: Bridget #95, Melissa #14.
Northern Ireland · Girls10 shared years, 1998–2022
Bridget held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Melissa in 8.
Highest recorded here: Bridget #282 in 2009, Melissa #58 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Bridget #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 | Bridget | Melissa |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | An Anglicized form of the Irish Brighid, with roots in old Celtic 'Brigantī' ('the exalted one'). In Irish mythology, Brighid was a goddess of fire, poetry and wisdom; the name is also associated with Saint Brigid of Kildare, Ireland's patron saint, and with the Scandinavian Birgitta (Saint Birgitta of Sweden). | 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 | Celtic (Irish) | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɹɪd͡ʒ.ɪt/ | /mə.ˈlɪs.ə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #213 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #173 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- Bridget is recorded with a Celtic (Irish) origin, while Melissa is recorded with a Greek origin.
- Bridget has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Melissa.
- Bridget's recorded meaning differs from Melissa's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Bridget
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #8 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: #7 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1967 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #213 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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 #268 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls