Lin vs Melissa
Lin 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Lin was ranked #513 and Melissa #268 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Lin was ranked #3695 and Melissa #280 among girls in England and Wales.
Lin and Melissa over time
Lin and Melissa appear together in 2 published lists, across 36 years of shared records. Melissa held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Lin 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 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.
List by list
Norway · Girls22 shared years, 1974–2025
Lin held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Melissa in 18.
Highest recorded here: Lin #118 in 1975, Melissa #141 in 2012.
The order changed in 1979: Melissa moved ahead. In 1978 they stood at #329 and #565; by 1979 that had become #641 and #326.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lin #513, Melissa #268.
England and Wales · Girls14 shared years, 2005–2024
Lin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Melissa in 14.
Highest recorded here: Lin #3549 in 2011, Melissa #102 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lin #3695, Melissa #280.
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 | Lin | 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 | 1 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #513 (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) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Melissa has a recorded origin (Greek); Lin does not have one recorded yet.
- Lin has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Melissa.
- A meaning is recorded for Melissa; Lin doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Lin
Popularity journey
First recorded1970
First recorded at #253 among girls in Norway in 1970 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1970–2025
Highest recorded position: #114 among girls in Norway, in 1973 (recorded 1970–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #513 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