Melissa vs Tea
Melissa and Teacompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2000, Melissa was ranked #89 and Tea #348 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2024, Melissa was ranked #189 and Tea #440 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2021, Melissa was ranked #254 and Tea #5581 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2016, Melissa was ranked #316 and Tea #868 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Melissa and Tea over time
Melissa and Tea appear together in 2 published lists, across 67 years of shared records. Melissa held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Tea in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
Melissa and Tea were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 45 years, from 1976 to 2024, ending at #189 and #440.
List by list
Norway · Girls45 shared years, 1976–2024
Melissa held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Tea in 0.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #141 in 2012, Tea #199 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Melissa #189, Tea #440.
England and Wales · Girls22 shared years, 1996–2021
Melissa held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Tea in 0.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #46 in 1996, Tea #779 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Melissa #254, Tea #5581.
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 | Tea |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| 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, GB-NIR, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #173 (2025) | Norway · Girls #440 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Melissa has a recorded origin (Greek); Tea does not have one recorded yet.
- Melissa has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Tea.
- A meaning is recorded for Melissa; Tea doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, 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
Tea
Popularity journey
First recorded1976
First recorded at #530 among girls in Norway in 1976 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1976–2024
Highest recorded position: #199 among girls in Norway, in 2001 (recorded 1976–2024).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #440 among girls in Norway, in 2024.
Norway · Girls