Melissa vs Toni
Melissa and Tonicompared 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 1975, Melissa was ranked #4 and Toni #87 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1995, Melissa was ranked #34 and Toni #85 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2023, Melissa was ranked #240 and Toni #3598 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Melissa was ranked #342 and Toni #631 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Melissa was ranked #355 and Toni #432 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Melissa was ranked #541 and Toni #790 among girls in Scotland.
Melissa and Toni over time
Melissa and Toni appear together in 5 published lists, across 128 years of shared records. Melissa held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Toni 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.
Toni reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Melissa in 1. 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 1969, Melissa moved ahead of Toni in New Zealand · Girls — #80 and #60 the year before became #49 and #51.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Melissa and Toni averaged 46.9 places apart, ending at #34 and #85.
- Longest-running competitions
Melissa and Toni were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 41 years, from 1970 to 2024, ending at #342 and #631.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Melissa #46 in 1996, Toni #115 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls41 shared years, 1970–2024
Melissa held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Toni in 0.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #48 in 1984, Toni #241 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Melissa #342, Toni #631.
New Zealand · Girls29 shared years, 1967–1995
Melissa held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Toni in 2.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #7 in 1984, Toni #51 in 1969.
The order changed in 1969: Melissa moved ahead. In 1968 they stood at #80 and #60; by 1969 that had become #49 and #51.
Most recent shared year, 1995: Melissa #34, Toni #85.
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2023
Melissa held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Toni in 0.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #46 in 1996, Toni #115 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Melissa #240, Toni #3598.
Northern Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 1997–2017
Melissa held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Toni in 0.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #43 in 1997, Toni #104 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Melissa #355, Toni #432.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls12 shared years, 1962–1975
Melissa held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Toni in 0.
Highest recorded here: Melissa #4 in 1975, Toni #66 in 1971.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1975: Melissa #4, Toni #87.
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 | Toni |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | |
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #631 (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); Toni does not have one recorded yet.
- Melissa has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Toni.
- A meaning is recorded for Melissa; Toni doesn't have one written yet.
- 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
Toni
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #98 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1965–1995
Highest recorded position: #51 among girls in New Zealand, in 1969 (recorded 1965–1995).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4270 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys