Melissa vs Samantha
Melissa and Samanthacompared 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 Samantha #13 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2002, Melissa was ranked #69 and Samantha #13 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Melissa was ranked #173 and Samantha #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Melissa was ranked #223 and Samantha #446 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Melissa was ranked #268 and Samantha #525 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Melissa was ranked #321 and Samantha #778 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Melissa was ranked #541 and Samantha #541 among girls in Scotland.
Melissa and Samantha over time
Melissa and Samantha appear together in 6 published lists, across 212 years of shared records. Melissa held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Samantha in 1.
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.
Melissa reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Samantha 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 2003, Melissa moved ahead of Samantha in England and Wales · Girls — #87 and #79 the year before became #84 and #90.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Melissa and Samantha changed places 8 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2021, ending at #223 and #446.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 35 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Melissa and Samantha averaged 23.1 places apart, ending at #92 and #13.
- Longest-running competitions
Melissa and Samantha were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #321 and #778.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Melissa #46 in 1996, Samantha #32 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls59 shared years, 1966–2025
Melissa held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Samantha in 27.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #48 in 1984, Samantha #33 in 1986.
The order changed in 2014: Melissa moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #241 and #201; by 2014 that had become #264 and #321.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Melissa #173, Samantha #885.
Norway · Girls42 shared years, 1978–2025
Melissa held the stronger position in 42 of those years, Samantha in 0.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #141 in 2012, Samantha #298 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Melissa #268, Samantha #525.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls35 shared years, 1966–2000
Melissa held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Samantha in 14.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #2 in 1977, Samantha #3 in 1992.
The order changed in 1987: Samantha moved ahead. In 1986 they stood at #7 and #10; by 1987 that had become #6 and #4.
Most recent shared year, 2000: Melissa #92, Samantha #13.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Melissa held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Samantha in 7.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #46 in 1996, Samantha #32 in 1996.
The order changed in 2003: Melissa moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #87 and #79; by 2003 that had become #84 and #90.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Melissa #321, Samantha #778.
New Zealand · Girls24 shared years, 1978–2002
Melissa held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Samantha in 16.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #7 in 1984, Samantha #3 in 1989.
The order changed in 1987: Samantha moved ahead. In 1986 they stood at #8 and #16; by 1987 that had become #9 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 2002: Melissa #69, Samantha #13.
Northern Ireland · Girls22 shared years, 1997–2021
Melissa held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Samantha in 7.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #43 in 1997, Samantha #57 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Melissa #223, Samantha #446.
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 | Samantha |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Likely a feminine adaptation of Samuel, incorporating a suffix possibly derived from Greek 'anthos' ('flower'). Emerged in 18th-century America; boosted to wide popularity by the 1964 television series Bewitched. |
| Origin | Greek | Hebrew, feminine adaptation (uncertain suffix origin) |
| Pronunciation | /mə.ˈlɪs.ə/ | /sə.ˈmæn.θə/ |
| 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) | Norway · Girls #525 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Melissa is recorded with a Greek origin, while Samantha is recorded with a Hebrew, feminine adaptation (uncertain suffix origin) origin.
- Melissa and Samantha both have 3 syllables.
- Melissa's recorded meaning differs from Samantha'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
Samantha
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #79 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1966–2013
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1992 (recorded 1966–2013).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #778 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls