Melisa vs Monica
Melisa and Monicacompared 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, Melisa was ranked #856 and Monica #727 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Melisa was ranked #778 and Monica #1229 among girls in England and Wales.
Melisa and Monica over time
Melisa and Monica appear together in 2 published lists, across 45 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Monica reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Melisa 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
Melisa and Monica changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2025, ending at #778 and #1229.
- Longest-running competitions
Melisa and Monica were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #778 and #1229.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Melisa held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Monica in 14.
Highest recorded here: Melisa #555 in 2023, Monica #274 in 1997.
The order changed in 2016: Melisa moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #860 and #794; by 2016 that had become #703 and #881.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Melisa #778, Monica #1229.
Republic of Ireland · Girls15 shared years, 1976–2023
Melisa held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Monica in 8.
Highest recorded here: Melisa #375 in 2020, Monica #191 in 1976.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Melisa #856, Monica #727.
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 | Melisa | Monica |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Precise meaning uncertain — most likely of Berber or Phoenician origin; since the Middle Ages popularly associated with Latin 'moneo' ('to advise') and Greek 'monos' ('one, single'). Borne by the 4th-century North African saint who was mother of Saint Augustine. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Uncertain (Berber or Phoenician) |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈmoː.ni.kaː/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Monika, Mona |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #379 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #1229 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Monica has a recorded origin (Uncertain (Berber or Phoenician)); Melisa does not have one recorded yet.
- Melisa and Monica both have 3 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Monica; Melisa doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
- The available evidence gives Melisa a "medium" Data Confidence level and Monica a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Melisa
Popularity journey
First recorded1976
First recorded at #497 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1976 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2016–2018
Highest recorded position: #353 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2016 (recorded 2016–2018).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #778 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Monica
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #315 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1946–2017
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Norway, in 1971 (recorded 1946–2017).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1229 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls