Lisa vs Melissa
Lisa 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 1997, Lisa was ranked #100 and Melissa #52 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1997, Lisa was ranked #85 and Melissa #55 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Lisa was ranked #443 and Melissa #173 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Lisa was ranked #174 and Melissa #268 among girls in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2013, Lisa was ranked #370 and Melissa #234 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Lisa was ranked #661 and Melissa #321 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Lisa was ranked #790 and Melissa #541 among girls in Scotland.
Lisa and Melissa over time
Lisa and Melissa appear together in 6 published lists, across 227 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Lisa reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Melissa 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1973, Melissa moved ahead of Lisa in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #5 and #7 the year before became #5 and #4.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Lisa and Melissa changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2013, ending at #370 and #234.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 36 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Lisa and Melissa averaged 18.4 places apart, ending at #100 and #52.
- Longest-running competitions
Lisa and Melissa were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #661 and #321.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Lisa #105 in 1996, Melissa #46 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls61 shared years, 1964–2025
Lisa held the stronger position in 47 of those years, Melissa in 14.
Highest recorded here: Lisa #3 in 1984, Melissa #48 in 1984.
The order changed in 2025: Melissa moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #320 and #342; by 2025 that had become #443 and #173.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lisa #443, Melissa #173.
Norway · Girls53 shared years, 1964–2025
Lisa held the stronger position in 52 of those years, Melissa in 1.
Highest recorded here: Lisa #37 in 1994, Melissa #141 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lisa #174, Melissa #268.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls36 shared years, 1962–1997
Lisa held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Melissa in 25.
Highest recorded here: Lisa #2 in 1968, Melissa #2 in 1977.
The order changed in 1973: Melissa moved ahead. In 1972 they stood at #5 and #7; by 1973 that had become #5 and #4.
Most recent shared year, 1997: Lisa #100, Melissa #52.
New Zealand · Girls31 shared years, 1967–1997
Lisa held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Melissa in 12.
Highest recorded here: Lisa #1 in 1968, Melissa #7 in 1984.
The order changed in 1989: Melissa moved ahead. In 1988 they stood at #13 and #14; by 1989 that had become #19 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 1997: Lisa #85, Melissa #55.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Lisa held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Melissa in 30.
Highest recorded here: Lisa #105 in 1996, Melissa #46 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lisa #661, Melissa #321.
Northern Ireland · Girls16 shared years, 1997–2013
Lisa held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Melissa in 13.
Highest recorded here: Lisa #63 in 1997, Melissa #43 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Lisa #370, Melissa #234.
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 | Lisa | Melissa |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A short form of Elizabeth, often used independently — notably the name of the subject of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. | 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 | Hebrew, short form of Elizabeth | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈliː.sə/ | /mə.ˈlɪs.ə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 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 | Norway · Girls #174 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #173 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- Lisa is recorded with a Hebrew, short form of Elizabeth origin, while Melissa is recorded with a Greek origin.
- Lisa has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Melissa.
- Lisa'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
Lisa
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #330 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1962–1997
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New Zealand, in 1968 (recorded 1962–1997).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #661 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