Melissa vs Orlagh
Melissa and Orlaghcompared 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.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Melissa was ranked #541 and Orlagh #176 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Melissa was ranked #321 and Orlagh #1166 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Melissa was ranked #328 and Orlagh #391 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Melissa was ranked #342 and Orlagh #898 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Melissa and Orlagh over time
Melissa and Orlagh appear together in 3 published lists, across 110 years of shared records. Melissa held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Orlagh 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.
Melissa reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Orlagh 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
Melissa and Orlagh changed places 8 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2023, ending at #328 and #391.
- Longest-running competitions
Melissa and Orlagh were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #321 and #1166.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls54 shared years, 1964–2024
Melissa held the stronger position in 53 of those years, Orlagh in 1.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #48 in 1984, Orlagh #178 in 1996.
The order changed in 1968: Melissa moved ahead. In 1967 they stood at #372 and #274; by 1968 that had become #250 and #401.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Melissa #342, Orlagh #898.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Melissa held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Orlagh in 0.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #46 in 1996, Orlagh #683 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Melissa #321, Orlagh #1166.
Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1997–2023
Melissa held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Orlagh in 7.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #43 in 1997, Orlagh #89 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Melissa #328, Orlagh #391.
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 Melissa
Pairs where Melissa shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.
- Melissa vs Courtney
In 1996 they stood at #46 and #52 in England and Wales · Girls, 6 places apart; by 2025 they were #321 and #2278.
Melissa · Courtney · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Melissa vs Louise
In 1996 they stood at #46 and #44 in England and Wales · Girls, 2 places apart; by 2025 they were #321 and #816.
Melissa · Louise · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Jennifer vs Melissa
In 1996 they stood at #54 and #46 in England and Wales · Girls, 8 places apart; by 2025 they were #650 and #321.
Jennifer · Melissa · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Olivia vs Melissa
In 1997 they stood at #46 and #43 in Northern Ireland · Girls, 3 places apart; by 2023 they were #5 and #328.
Olivia · Melissa · 26 shared years, 1997–2023 · Started together, ended far apart
Side by side
| Field | Melissa | Orlagh |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Greek | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /mə.ˈlɪs.ə/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #173 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #1166 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 80/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Melissa has a recorded origin (Greek); Orlagh does not have one recorded yet.
- Melissa has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Orlagh.
- A meaning is recorded for Melissa; Orlagh doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
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
Orlagh
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #274 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #89 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2000 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1166 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls