Keeley vs Melissa
Keeley 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 2023, Keeley was ranked #856 and Melissa #202 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Keeley was ranked #3318 and Melissa #280 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Keeley was ranked #391 and Melissa #328 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Keeley and Melissa over time
Keeley and Melissa appear together in 3 published lists, across 67 years of shared records. Melissa held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Keeley in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Melissa reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Keeley 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
Keeley and Melissa changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1998 and 2023, ending at #391 and #328.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Keeley held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Melissa in 29.
Highest recorded here: Keeley #162 in 2006, Melissa #46 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Keeley #3318, Melissa #280.
Republic of Ireland · Girls23 shared years, 1996–2023
Keeley held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Melissa in 23.
Highest recorded here: Keeley #222 in 2007, Melissa #64 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Keeley #856, Melissa #202.
Northern Ireland · Girls15 shared years, 1998–2023
Keeley held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Melissa in 11.
Highest recorded here: Keeley #121 in 2008, Melissa #58 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Keeley #391, 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 | Keeley | 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 | England and Wales · Girls #3318 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #173 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Melissa has a recorded origin (Greek); Keeley does not have one recorded yet.
- Keeley has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Melissa.
- A meaning is recorded for Melissa; Keeley doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Keeley
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #205 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1998–2023
Highest recorded position: #121 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2008 (recorded 1998–2023).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3318 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
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 #268 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls