Namewise

Kylie vs Melissa

Kylie 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 1989, Kylie was ranked #82 and Melissa #7 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 1990, Kylie was ranked #94 and Melissa #8 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2011, Kylie was ranked #277 and Melissa #160 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Kylie was ranked #413 and Melissa #173 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Kylie was ranked #1110 and Melissa #321 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Kylie was ranked #790 and Melissa #541 among girls in Scotland.

Kylie and Melissa over time

Kylie and Melissa appear together in 4 published lists, across 100 years of shared records. Melissa held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Kylie in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 of the lists they share.

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.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 25 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Kylie and Melissa averaged 12.1 places apart, ending at #82 and #7.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Kylie and Melissa were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1110 and #321.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Kylie #349 in 1998, Melissa #46 in 1996.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Kylie held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Melissa in 30.

    Highest recorded here: Kylie #349 in 1998, Melissa #46 in 1996.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Kylie #1110, Melissa #321.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1987–2025

    Kylie held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Melissa in 26.

    Highest recorded here: Kylie #250 in 1989, Melissa #61 in 1987.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Kylie #413, Melissa #173.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls25 shared years, 1965–1989

    Kylie held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Melissa in 19.

    Highest recorded here: Kylie #2 in 1971, Melissa #2 in 1977.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 1989: Kylie #82, Melissa #7.

  • New Zealand · Girls19 shared years, 1972–1990

    Kylie held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Melissa in 18.

    Highest recorded here: Kylie #12 in 1975, Melissa #7 in 1984.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 1990: Kylie #94, 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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Kylie

Pairs where Kylie shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Melissa

Pairs where Melissa shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — closest over the longest run.

All closest over the longest run→

Other pairs from New South Wales, Australia lists

Pairs measured inside New South Wales, Australia's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New South Wales, Australia overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 1980s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 1980 and 1989.

The 1980s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Kylie, Melissa
FieldKylieMelissa
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningEmerged in Australia, reportedly meaning 'boomerang' in the Nyungar Aboriginal language; alternatively read as a feminine form of Kyle or a blend of the phonetic elements 'ky' and 'lee'.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.
OriginNyungar (Australian Aboriginal), disputed alternative readingsGreek
Pronunciation/ˈkaɪ.li//mə.ˈlɪs.ə/
Syllables23
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #413 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #173 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10082/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Kylie is recorded with a Nyungar (Australian Aboriginal), disputed alternative readings origin, while Melissa is recorded with a Greek origin.
  • Kylie has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Melissa.
  • Kylie'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, NZ.

How each name got here

Kylie

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1965

    First recorded at #84 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1965–1989

    Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1971 (recorded 1965–1989).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #1110 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Melissa

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1962–2000

    Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1977 (recorded 1962–2000).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #321 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls