Elle vs Melissa
Elle 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, Elle was ranked #189 and Melissa #173 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Elle was ranked #237 and Melissa #328 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Elle was ranked #260 and Melissa #541 among girls in Scotland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Elle was ranked #342 and Melissa #268 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Elle was ranked #583 and Melissa #280 among girls in England and Wales.
Elle and Melissa over time
Elle and Melissa appear together in 4 published lists, across 111 years of shared records. Melissa held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Elle in 0.
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 4 of those lists, and Elle 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Elle and Melissa changed places 7 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1998 and 2023, ending at #237 and #328.
- Mirrored each other
Over 28 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Elle rose about as far as Melissa fell — from #425 and #99 in 1998 to #189 and #173 in 2025.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Elle held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Melissa in 29.
Highest recorded here: Elle #93 in 2002, Melissa #46 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elle #583, Melissa #280.
Norway · Girls29 shared years, 1993–2025
Elle held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Melissa in 29.
Highest recorded here: Elle #250 in 2021, Melissa #141 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elle #342, Melissa #268.
Republic of Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1998–2025
Elle held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Melissa in 24.
Highest recorded here: Elle #160 in 2005, Melissa #84 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elle #189, Melissa #173.
Northern Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 1998–2023
Elle held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Melissa in 16.
Highest recorded here: Elle #89 in 2003, Melissa #58 in 1998.
The order changed in 2022: Elle moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #298 and #223; by 2022 that had become #243 and #266.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Elle #237, Melissa #328.
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 | Elle | 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #189 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #173 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Melissa has a recorded origin (Greek); Elle does not have one recorded yet.
- Elle has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Melissa.
- A meaning is recorded for Melissa; Elle doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Elle
Popularity journey
First recorded1993
First recorded at #628 among girls in Norway in 1993 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1998–2024
Highest recorded position: #89 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2003 (recorded 1998–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #342 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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