Melissa vs Sharon
Melissa and Sharoncompared 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 1982, Melissa was ranked #3 and Sharon #88 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1981, Melissa was ranked #11 and Sharon #78 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2010, Melissa was ranked #194 and Sharon #366 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2001, Melissa was ranked #197 and Sharon #512 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Melissa was ranked #255 and Sharon #834 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Melissa was ranked #280 and Sharon #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Melissa was ranked #541 and Sharon #638 among girls in Scotland.
Melissa and Sharon over time
Melissa and Sharon appear together in 5 published lists, across 135 years of shared records. Melissa held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Sharon in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Sharon reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1971, Melissa moved ahead of Sharon in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #12 and #7 the year before became #7 and #8.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Melissa and Sharon changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2020, ending at #255 and #834.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 21 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Melissa and Sharon averaged 37.1 places apart, ending at #3 and #88.
- Longest-running competitions
Melissa and Sharon were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 54 years, from 1964 to 2020, ending at #255 and #834.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Melissa #46 in 1996, Sharon #539 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls54 shared years, 1964–2020
Melissa held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Sharon in 27.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #48 in 1984, Sharon #5 in 1970.
The order changed in 2004: Melissa moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #189 and #189; by 2004 that had become #130 and #207.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Melissa #255, Sharon #834.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Melissa held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sharon in 0.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #46 in 1996, Sharon #539 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Melissa #280, Sharon #2000.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls21 shared years, 1962–1982
Melissa held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Sharon in 9.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #2 in 1977, Sharon #2 in 1965.
The order changed in 1971: Melissa moved ahead. In 1970 they stood at #12 and #7; by 1971 that had become #7 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 1982: Melissa #3, Sharon #88.
Norway · Girls16 shared years, 1974–2001
Melissa held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Sharon in 0.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #166 in 1997, Sharon #354 in 1980.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2001: Melissa #197, Sharon #512.
New Zealand · Girls15 shared years, 1967–1981
Melissa held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Sharon in 5.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #9 in 1980, Sharon #13 in 1968.
The order changed in 1972: Melissa moved ahead. In 1971 they stood at #45 and #24; by 1972 that had become #26 and #28.
Most recent shared year, 1981: Melissa #11, Sharon #78.
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 | Sharon |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | From a Hebrew place name — a fertile plain on the central west coast of Israel, also referenced in the biblical 'rose of Sharon' flowering plant. Used as a feminine given name in English since the 1920s. |
| Origin | Greek | Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) |
| Pronunciation | /mə.ˈlɪs.ə/ | /ˈʃæɹ.ən/ |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #173 (2025) | Scotland · Girls #638 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Melissa is recorded with a Greek origin, while Sharon is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) origin.
- Melissa has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Sharon.
- Melissa's recorded meaning differs from Sharon'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 #268 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Sharon
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #47 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1982
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1965 (recorded 1952–1982).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2000 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls