Kim vs Melissa
Kim 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 1984, Kim was ranked #80 and Melissa #4 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1985, Kim was ranked #78 and Melissa #8 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2012, Kim was ranked #451 and Melissa #136 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2011, Kim was ranked #589 and Melissa #151 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Kim was ranked #4192 and Melissa #280 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Kim was ranked #736 and Melissa #342 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Kim and Melissa over time
Kim and Melissa appear together in 5 published lists, across 160 years of shared records. Melissa held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Kim in 0.
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.
Kim reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Melissa 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 1971, Melissa moved ahead of Kim in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #9 and #12 the year before became #9 and #7.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Kim and Melissa changed places 9 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2024, ending at #736 and #342.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 23 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Kim and Melissa averaged 29.0 places apart, ending at #80 and #4.
- Longest-running competitions
Kim and Melissa were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 33 years, from 1964 to 2011, ending at #589 and #151.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Kim #382 in 1996, Melissa #46 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls56 shared years, 1964–2024
Kim held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Melissa in 48.
Highest recorded here: Kim #64 in 1992, Melissa #48 in 1984.
The order changed in 1999: Melissa moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #94 and #99; by 1999 that had become #110 and #84.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kim #736, Melissa #342.
Norway · Girls33 shared years, 1964–2011
Kim held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Melissa in 23.
Highest recorded here: Kim #238 in 1984, Melissa #151 in 2011.
The order changed in 1985: Melissa moved ahead. In 1984 they stood at #238 and #291; by 1985 that had become #404 and #267.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Kim #589, Melissa #151.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Kim held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Melissa in 29.
Highest recorded here: Kim #382 in 1996, Melissa #46 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kim #4192, Melissa #280.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls23 shared years, 1962–1984
Kim held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Melissa in 14.
Highest recorded here: Kim #6 in 1967, Melissa #2 in 1977.
The order changed in 1971: Melissa moved ahead. In 1970 they stood at #9 and #12; by 1971 that had become #9 and #7.
Most recent shared year, 1984: Kim #80, Melissa #4.
New Zealand · Girls19 shared years, 1967–1985
Kim held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Melissa in 11.
Highest recorded here: Kim #5 in 1968, Melissa #7 in 1984.
The order changed in 1976: Melissa moved ahead. In 1975 they stood at #18 and #33; by 1976 that had become #28 and #12.
Most recent shared year, 1985: Kim #78, Melissa #8.
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 | Kim | Melissa |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | Used for both boys and girls | 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 | 1 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #736 (2024) | 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); Kim does not have one recorded yet.
- Kim has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Melissa.
- A meaning is recorded for Melissa; Kim doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Kim
Popularity journey
First recorded1951
First recorded at #344 among girls in Norway in 1951 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1958–1985
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in New Zealand, in 1968 (recorded 1958–1985).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4192 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