Chloe vs Melissa
Chloe 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 South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2000, Chloe was ranked #6 and Melissa #92 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2002, Chloe was ranked #19 and Melissa #69 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Chloe was ranked #22 and Melissa #173 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Chloe was ranked #39 and Melissa #541 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Chloe was ranked #64 and Melissa #328 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Chloe was ranked #72 and Melissa #280 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Chloe was ranked #341 and Melissa #268 among girls in Norway.
Chloe and Melissa over time
Chloe and Melissa appear together in 5 published lists, across 134 years of shared records. Chloe held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Melissa in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 3 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 4 of those lists, and Chloe 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 1995, Chloe moved ahead of Melissa in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #27 and #23 the year before became #16 and #33.
- Longest-running competitions
Chloe and Melissa were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 48 years, from 1974 to 2025, ending at #22 and #173.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Chloe #1 in 1997, Melissa #46 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls48 shared years, 1974–2025
Chloe held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Melissa in 13.
Highest recorded here: Chloe #1 in 1998, Melissa #48 in 1984.
The order changed in 1991: Chloe moved ahead. In 1990 they stood at #70 and #63; by 1991 that had become #50 and #56.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Chloe #22, Melissa #173.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Chloe held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Melissa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Chloe #1 in 1997, Melissa #46 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Chloe #72, Melissa #280.
Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1997–2023
Chloe held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Melissa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Chloe #1 in 1997, Melissa #43 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Chloe #64, Melissa #328.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls16 shared years, 1985–2000
Chloe held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Melissa in 10.
Highest recorded here: Chloe #4 in 1998, Melissa #5 in 1985.
The order changed in 1995: Chloe moved ahead. In 1994 they stood at #27 and #23; by 1995 that had become #16 and #33.
Most recent shared year, 2000: Chloe #6, Melissa #92.
New Zealand · Girls15 shared years, 1986–2002
Chloe held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Melissa in 11.
Highest recorded here: Chloe #19 in 1991, Melissa #8 in 1986.
The order changed in 1999: Chloe moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #62 and #58; by 1999 that had become #24 and #71.
Most recent shared year, 2002: Chloe #19, Melissa #69.
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 | Chloe | Melissa |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'green shoot', referring to new plant growth in spring; used as an epithet of the Greek goddess Demeter. | 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 | Ancient Greek | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkloʊi/ | /mə.ˈlɪs.ə/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #7 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #173 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Chloe is recorded with a Ancient Greek origin, while Melissa is recorded with a Greek origin.
- Chloe has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Melissa.
- Chloe's recorded meaning differs from Melissa's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Chloe
Popularity journey
First recorded1974
First recorded at #490 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1974 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 1997 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #7 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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