Melissa vs Selam
Melissa and Selamcompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2011, Melissa was ranked #197 and Selam #5785 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2002, Melissa was ranked #245 and Selam #526 among girls in Norway.
Melissa and Selam over time
Melissa and Selam appear together in 1 published list, across 21 years of shared records. Melissa held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Selam 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.
Selam 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.
List by list
Norway · Girls21 shared years, 1975–2002
Melissa held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Selam in 2.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #178 in 1995, Selam #254 in 1991.
The order changed in 1979: Melissa moved ahead. In 1978 they stood at #565 and #476; by 1979 that had become #326 and #654.
Most recent shared year, 2002: Melissa #245, Selam #526.
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 | Selam |
|---|---|---|
| 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, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #173 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #5785 (2011) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Melissa has a recorded origin (Greek); Selam does not have one recorded yet.
- Melissa has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Selam.
- A meaning is recorded for Melissa; Selam doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
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 #268 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Selam
Popularity journey
First recorded1975
First recorded at #566 among girls in Norway in 1975 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1975–2002
Highest recorded position: #254 among girls in Norway, in 1991 (recorded 1975–2002).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2011
Most recently recorded at #5785 among girls in England and Wales, in 2011.
England and Wales · Girls