Melissa vs Saerlaith
Melissa and Saerlaithcompared 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 2011, Melissa was ranked #166 and Saerlaith #937 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Melissa was ranked #328 and Saerlaith #264 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Melissa and Saerlaith over time
Melissa and Saerlaith appear together in 1 published list, across 10 years of shared records. Melissa held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Saerlaith 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.
Saerlaith reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Melissa #223 in 2021, Saerlaith #166 in 2020.
List by list
Northern Ireland · Girls10 shared years, 2013–2023
Melissa held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Saerlaith in 4.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #223 in 2021, Saerlaith #166 in 2020.
The order changed in 2018: Saerlaith moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #355 and #432; by 2018 that had become #361 and #313.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Melissa #328, Saerlaith #264.
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 | Saerlaith |
|---|---|---|
| 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-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #173 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Girls #337 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 70/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Melissa has a recorded origin (Greek); Saerlaith does not have one recorded yet.
- Melissa has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Saerlaith.
- A meaning is recorded for Melissa; Saerlaith doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR, 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
Saerlaith
Popularity journey
First recorded2013
First recorded at #440 among girls in Northern Ireland in 2013 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Northern Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2013–2024
Highest recorded position: #166 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2020 (recorded 2013–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #337 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Girls