Jessica vs Melissa
Jessica 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, Jessica was ranked #1 and Melissa #92 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2002, Jessica was ranked #1 and Melissa #69 among girls in New Zealand.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Jessica was ranked #48 and Melissa #541 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Jessica was ranked #60 and Melissa #328 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Jessica was ranked #139 and Melissa #321 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Jessica was ranked #141 and Melissa #173 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Jessica was ranked #474 and Melissa #268 among girls in Norway.
Jessica and Melissa over time
Jessica and Melissa appear together in 6 published lists, across 217 years of shared records. Jessica held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Melissa in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 4 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 5 of those lists, Jessica in 1. 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 1983, Jessica moved ahead of Melissa in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #7 and #3 the year before became #3 and #4.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jessica and Melissa changed places 9 times in Norway · Girls between 1964 and 2025, ending at #474 and #268.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 25 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Jessica and Melissa averaged 30.9 places apart, ending at #1 and #92.
- Longest-running competitions
Jessica and Melissa were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #139 and #321.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Girls within 2 years — Jessica #143 in 2010, Melissa #141 in 2012.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls59 shared years, 1966–2025
Jessica held the stronger position in 42 of those years, Melissa in 17.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #12 in 1995, Melissa #48 in 1984.
The order changed in 1986: Jessica moved ahead. In 1985 they stood at #76 and #60; by 1986 that had become #57 and #68.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #141, Melissa #173.
Norway · Girls51 shared years, 1964–2025
Jessica held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Melissa in 26.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #143 in 2010, Melissa #141 in 2012.
The order changed in 2011: Melissa moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #143 and #176; by 2011 that had become #173 and #151.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #474, Melissa #268.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Jessica held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Melissa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 2005, Melissa #46 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #139, Melissa #321.
New Zealand · Girls26 shared years, 1977–2002
Jessica held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Melissa in 5.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 1990, Melissa #7 in 1984.
The order changed in 1983: Jessica moved ahead. In 1982 they stood at #12 and #11; by 1983 that had become #5 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 2002: Jessica #1, Melissa #69.
Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1997–2023
Jessica held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Melissa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #4 in 2008, Melissa #43 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jessica #60, Melissa #328.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls25 shared years, 1976–2000
Jessica held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Melissa in 7.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 1984, Melissa #2 in 1977.
The order changed in 1983: Jessica moved ahead. In 1982 they stood at #7 and #3; by 1983 that had become #3 and #4.
Most recent shared year, 2000: Jessica #1, Melissa #92.
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 | Jessica | Melissa |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Coined by William Shakespeare for his 1596 play The Merchant of Venice, where it belongs to Shylock's daughter — likely based on the biblical name Iscah, also spelled Jescha/Jischa in some translations of Shakespeare's time. | 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 | Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒɛs.ɪ.kə/ | /mə.ˈlɪs.ə/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 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 | England and Wales · Girls #139 (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
- Jessica is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage origin, while Melissa is recorded with a Greek origin.
- Jessica and Melissa both have 3 syllables.
- Jessica'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
Jessica
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #471 among girls in Norway in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2005 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #139 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