Melissa vs Rebecca
Melissa and Rebeccacompared 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 2000, Melissa was ranked #92 and Rebecca #21 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2002, Melissa was ranked #69 and Rebecca #27 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Melissa was ranked #328 and Rebecca #91 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Melissa was ranked #173 and Rebecca #141 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Melissa was ranked #268 and Rebecca #485 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Melissa was ranked #321 and Rebecca #413 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Melissa was ranked #541 and Rebecca #431 among girls in Scotland.
Melissa and Rebecca over time
Melissa and Rebecca appear together in 6 published lists, across 239 years of shared records. Rebecca held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Melissa in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Rebecca reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Melissa in 2. 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 1976, Rebecca moved ahead of Melissa in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #4 and #5 the year before became #3 and #1.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Melissa and Rebecca changed places 5 times in Norway · Girls between 1974 and 2025, ending at #268 and #485.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 35 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Melissa and Rebecca averaged 16.3 places apart, ending at #92 and #21.
- Longest-running competitions
Melissa and Rebecca were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #321 and #413.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Melissa #46 in 1996, Rebecca #8 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls61 shared years, 1964–2025
Melissa held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Rebecca in 57.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #48 in 1984, Rebecca #7 in 1995.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Melissa #173, Rebecca #141.
Norway · Girls51 shared years, 1974–2025
Melissa held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Rebecca in 35.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #141 in 2012, Rebecca #55 in 1996.
The order changed in 2020: Melissa moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #215 and #188; by 2020 that had become #168 and #458.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Melissa #268, Rebecca #485.
New Zealand · Girls36 shared years, 1967–2002
Melissa held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Rebecca in 35.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #7 in 1984, Rebecca #2 in 1977.
The order changed in 1968: Rebecca moved ahead. In 1967 they stood at #77 and #87; by 1968 that had become #80 and #67.
Most recent shared year, 2002: Melissa #69, Rebecca #27.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls35 shared years, 1966–2000
Melissa held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Rebecca in 25.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #2 in 1977, Rebecca #1 in 1976.
The order changed in 1976: Rebecca moved ahead. In 1975 they stood at #4 and #5; by 1976 that had become #3 and #1.
Most recent shared year, 2000: Melissa #92, Rebecca #21.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Melissa held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Rebecca in 26.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #46 in 1996, Rebecca #8 in 1996.
The order changed in 2022: Melissa moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #254 and #233; by 2022 that had become #267 and #287.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Melissa #321, Rebecca #413.
Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1997–2023
Melissa held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Rebecca in 26.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #43 in 1997, Rebecca #2 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Melissa #328, Rebecca #91.
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 | Melissa | Rebecca |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | Traditionally associated with concepts of 'joining', 'tying', or a 'team/yoke' — a binding or connecting sense, from a Semitic root about fastening things together. |
| Origin | Greek | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhebekka |
| Pronunciation | /mə.ˈlɪs.ə/ | /rəˈbɛkə/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 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 | Republic of Ireland · Girls #173 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #141 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Melissa is recorded with a Greek origin, while Rebecca is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhebekka origin.
- Melissa and Rebecca both have 3 syllables.
- Melissa's recorded meaning differs from Rebecca'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
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
Rebecca
Popularity journey
First recorded1955
First recorded at #440 among girls in Norway in 1955 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1966–2008
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1976 (recorded 1966–2008).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #413 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls