Melissa

femaleGreek

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.

Origin: Greek

Official popularity data is available for 7 regions, from 1962 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #2 in New South Wales, Australia in 1979. See regions.

Melissa: Recorded every year since 1962, it reached #2 in 1977, and it stood at #173 in 2025.

7registrars recorded it
246times a registrar ranked it
64years from first to last
#2highest recorded position
45groupings it qualifies for
41names it appears alongside

What stands out in Melissa's record

Ranked inside the top 10 by 2 registrars. Names by top-10 reach
Ranked every year since 1962, without a single year missing. Names by continuity of record
Held a top-100 place for 44 years running. Names by top-100 run
England and Wales registered 1,282 births with the name in 1996, its largest count from any one registrar. Names by yearly birth count

muh-LIS-uh/mə.ˈlɪs.ə/

Compare Melissa Run Name Checker on Melissa

Data Confidence

Evidence: ModerateCompleteness: SubstantialEditorial review: 2026-07-21

Confidence in the evidencebehind this name's data — never a rating of the name itself, and never affected by how well it matches your preferences. How this is assessed

Because: backed by officially or academically authoritative sources, recently verified, popularity data covers multiple regions.

Source authority

Averaged from the real per-claim source-authority assessments already computed for this name's meaning/origin/pronunciation/popularity evidence.

Independent corroboration

Averaged from the real per-claim supporting-source counts already computed for this name's evidence.

See full evidence assessment (8 dimensions, 1 not yet tracked)

Source agreement

No recorded source disagreement for this name's meanings or origins.

Recency

Calculated from how long ago this record was last verified (2026-07-21), against a 270-day staleness threshold.

Geographic relevance

Calculated from the number of geographies with official popularity data (7) — broader official coverage means the evidence base is relevant to more of where the name is actually used.

Completeness

Calculated from how many of the expected data sections (variants, similar names, popularity, notable usage, IPA pronunciation) are actually populated for this name.

Direct observation vs. inference

Averaged from the real per-claim direct-observation-vs-inference ratios already computed for this name's evidence.

Identity & variant resolution quality

Cross-source identity and variant resolution requires HEKNO Knowledge, which isn't connected yet.

Name Characteristics

How these are calculated

Descriptive attributes of the name itself — not a confidence measurement, and not an overall quality score. Namewise doesn't approve or disapprove of names.

Pronunciation clarity

Editorial judgement of how consistently this name is pronounced correctly on first read, mapped from an easy/moderate/variable rating to a number. Describes the name — not a measure of evidence confidence.

Spelling simplicity

Calculated directly from the name's spelling: shorter names with fewer irregular letter clusters score higher. A disclosed formula, not an editorial opinion — and not a confidence measurement.

Recorded regional spread

Derived from how many geographies' official statistics record this name. It measures where the name is registered, not how well-known it feels to people living there.

International spread

Derived from the same official statistical coverage, scaled to reflect how widely the name crosses national datasets. Not a measure of how easily it is understood in another language.

Trend stability

Derived from the name's traditional/modern classification and its current popularity trend direction.

Overview

Origin: Greek
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.
Pronunciation: muh-LIS-uh
Syllables: 3
Common nicknames: None recorded
Classification: Traditional & modern
Gender usage: female
Language family: Greek

Popularity

Region

Falling

among girls in England and Wales · 1996–2025

View as table

England and Wales · Girls rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#46
1997	#47
1998	#54
1999	#58
2000	#68
2001	#74
2002	#87
2003	#84
2004	#83
2005	#102
2006	#107
2007	#132
2008	#135
2009	#138
2010	#153
2011	#197
2012	#192
2013	#229
2014	#221
2015	#224
2016	#219
2017	#227
2018	#222
2019	#283
2020	#237
2021	#254
2022	#267
2023	#240
2024	#280
2025	#321

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

FallingEngland and Wales · Girls

Recorded in official data among girls in Republic of Ireland in 61 of the 62 years from 1964 to 2025.

In 2025: #173 among girls in Republic of Ireland, #268 among girls in Norway, #321 among girls in England and Wales.

Official data from 7 national registrars across 7 regions, 1962–2025 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

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
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #321 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls

Melissa appears in 6 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is Republic of Ireland · Girls, with 61 ranked years and 3,215 births registered; the earliest is New South Wales, Australia · Girls, from 1962.

Melissa across 6 official records

Each registrar publishes its own list, so these figures are read down a row, never across one. A position in one country is not comparable with a position in another, and Namewise never combines them into a single ranking. The birth counts do not compare across rows either, for a different reason: England and Wales registers roughly thirty times as many births a year as Northern Ireland, so a larger total says which registrar recorded it as much as how widely the name was given.

Melissa's first, highest and most recent recorded position in each official list, with the number of births each registrar registered with the name and its largest single year
Published list	First recorded	Highest	Most recent	Years recorded	Births registered	Most in one year
Norway · Girls	#527 (1964)	#141 (2012)	#268 (2025)	53 of 62	1,249 (1964–2025)	50 (2012)
Republic of Ireland · Girls	#372 (1964)	#48 (1984)	#173 (2025)	61 of 62	3,215 (1964–2025)	162 (1984)
New South Wales, Australia · Girls	#78 (1962)	#2 (1977)	#92 (2000)	39 of 39	18,165 (1962–2000)	778 (1973)
New Zealand · Girls	#77 (1967)	#7 (1984)	#69 (2002)	36 of 36	6,898 (1967–2002)	308 (1983)
England and Wales · Girls	#46 (1996)	#46 (1996)	#321 (2025)	30 of 30	13,316 (1996–2025)	1,282 (1996)
Northern Ireland · Girls	#43 (1997)	#43 (1997)	#328 (2023)	26 of 27	420 (1997–2023)	55 (1997)

Melissa by decade in Republic of Ireland · Girls

Births registered with the name in each decade of this one list, with the number of years the list covers in that decade. Bars are scaled on births a year, which is the figure that compares between decades — a decade the list only partly covers has a smaller total without being a quieter decade. Figures belong to this registrar alone and do not carry to another.

Births registered with Melissa in Republic of Ireland · Girls, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1960s	45	5 of 10	9
1970s	458	10 of 10	46
1980sbusiest	1,177	10 of 10	118
1990s	821	10 of 10	82
2000s	332	10 of 10	33
2010s	243	10 of 10	24
2020s	139	6 of 10	23

Across Republic of Ireland · Girls, the 1980s were its busiest decade, averaging 118 births a year.

Its sharpest single-year move came between 1982 and 1983, when recorded births rose by 71, from 83 to 154.

See the names Republic of Irelandhas recorded the most births with →

Melissa appears in

Groupings this name qualifies for under their own stated rules, from the same official statistics shown above.

What the record shows

Recorded by 7 registrars between 1962 and 2025, ranked in 64 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #2, first reached in 1977.

It held a top-100 place in 44 years, 44 of them consecutive.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 1,282 births, registered in England and Wales in 1996.

2 registrars ranked it inside their own top 10.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1964, and 62 years separate the first registrar to record it from the last.

Every figure here is counted from the seven official registrars Namewise holds. A position is only ever a place within the list that published it, and a record that thins or stops is a fact about what registrars printed — never about how many children received the name.

Melissa was ranked #2 in New South Wales, Australia · Girls in 1977. These are the names immediately either side of it on that published list — a fact about the registrar's own output, not a similarity judgement.

Where to go next

Records with a comparable body of evidence, so the catalogue can be read outward from this one. Each group states the rule it was selected by.

Next in the catalogue

The records either side of this one alphabetically.

Melis · #1160, 30y
Melisa · #353, 34y
Melita · #660, 27y
Mella · #389, 11y

A comparable record

Records held by the same 7 registrars, over a similar number of ranked years, whose highest position is closest to this one. A similar body of evidence — never a claim that the names themselves are alike.

Hannah · #2, 62y
Mia · #2, 69y
Nicole · #2, 62y
Amelia · #1, 59y

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1960 and 1969.

Caitlin · #2, 49y
Ciara · #2, 62y
Hannah · #2, 62y
Kylie · #2, 56y

Comparisons involving Melissa

Existing comparison pages where Melissa and another name were ranked in the same published list, in the same years, on the same scale. Each has its own evidence; none of them says the names are alike.

Longest shared records

Names ranked alongside Melissa in the same published list across at least 25 years.

Melissa vs Courtney
In 1996 they stood at #46 and #52 in England and Wales · Girls, 6 places apart; by 2025 they were #321 and #2278.
Melissa · Courtney · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 England and Wales ranking
Melissa vs Louise
In 1996 they stood at #46 and #44 in England and Wales · Girls, 2 places apart; by 2025 they were #321 and #816.
Melissa · Louise · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 England and Wales ranking
Jennifer vs Melissa
In 1996 they stood at #54 and #46 in England and Wales · Girls, 8 places apart; by 2025 they were #650 and #321.
Jennifer · Melissa · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 England and Wales ranking

Closest long-running positions

Names that stayed close to Melissa within one registrar's list over many years. A gap measured inside that list, never across registrars.

Melissa vs Kylie
Across 25 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Melissa and Kylie averaged 12.1 places apart, ending at #7 and #82.
Melissa · Kylie · 25 shared years, 1965–1989 · Closest over the longest run
See the 1989 New South Wales, Australia ranking

Order changes

Pairs where Melissa and another name exchanged position in a published list, taken as the final meaningful change.

Rebecca vs Melissa
In 1976, Rebecca moved ahead of Melissa in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #5 and #4 the year before became #1 and #3.
Rebecca · Melissa · 35 shared years, 1966–2000 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1976 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Emma vs Melissa
In 1988, Emma moved ahead of Melissa in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #8 and #6 the year before became #3 and #6.
Emma · Melissa · 32 shared years, 1969–2000 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1988 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Jessica vs Melissa
In 1983, Jessica moved ahead of Melissa in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #7 and #3 the year before became #3 and #4.
Jessica · Melissa · 25 shared years, 1976–2000 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1983 New South Wales, Australia ranking

Compared inside New South Wales, Australia lists

Pairs involving Melissa measured in New South Wales, Australia's own published lists — the registrar that recorded Melissa at its highest position.

Melissa vs Joanne
In 1973, Melissa moved ahead of Joanne in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #7 and #6 the year before became #4 and #11.
Melissa · Joanne · 27 shared years, 1962–1988 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1973 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Karen vs Melissa
In 1973, Melissa moved ahead of Karen in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #4 and #7 the year before became #6 and #4.
Karen · Melissa · 25 shared years, 1962–1986 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1973 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Lisa vs Melissa
In 1973, Melissa moved ahead of Lisa in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #5 and #7 the year before became #5 and #4.
Lisa · Melissa · 36 shared years, 1962–1997 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1973 New South Wales, Australia ranking

New South Wales, Australia overview→

Melissa and the names beside it

Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale, in the same year, by the same registrar — so these are positions that genuinely passed each other, not a similarity judgement. Drawn from the 2,577 names with a recorded popularity standing (common, familiar, uncommon), so a name outside that set could have passed Melissa without appearing here.

Melissa moved ahead of

Jan
In 1975 they stood at #372 and #327 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 1976 that had become #100 and #497.
Sinead
In 2017 they stood at #205 and #178 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2018 that had become #235 and #629.
Grace
In 1983 they stood at #398 and #385 in Norway · Girls; by 1984 that had become #291 and #600.
Aud
In 1986 they stood at #260 and #244 in Norway · Girls; by 1987 that had become #264 and #553.

Moved ahead of Melissa

Roisin
In 2016 they stood at #229 and #276 in Northern Ireland · Girls; by 2017 that had become #355 and #190.
Thea
In 2012 they stood at #192 and #225 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2013 that had become #229 and #121.
Hanna
In 2021 they stood at #223 and #298 in Northern Ireland · Girls; by 2022 that had become #266 and #162.
Alyssa
In 2022 they stood at #266 and #354 in Northern Ireland · Girls; by 2023 that had become #328 and #237.

Moved the opposite way to Melissa

Amanda Compare
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Melissa went from #372 to #173 while Amanda went from #118 to #608.
Angela
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Melissa went from #372 to #173 while Angela went from #24 to #608.
Anita
Between 1964 and 2025 in Norway · Girls, Melissa went from #527 to #268 while Anita went from #9 to #459.
Åse
Between 1964 and 2025 in Norway · Girls, Melissa went from #527 to #268 while Åse went from #43 to #93.

Moved the same way as Melissa

Amelia
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Melissa went from #372 to #173 and Amelia from #300 to #12.
Annie
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Melissa went from #372 to #173 and Annie from #112 to #33.
Aoife
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Melissa went from #372 to #173 and Aoife from #206 to #34.
Astrid
Between 1964 and 2025 in Norway · Girls, Melissa went from #527 to #268 and Astrid from #38 to #9.

Meaning & Origin

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.

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Greek

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Other names with a researched meaning and origin →

Where Melissa is officially recorded

7 official registrars have recorded Melissa, between 1962 and 2025. Each registrar publishes for its own population on its own methodology, so the positions below are each one country's own ranking and are not comparable with one another.

Registrar	Recorded	Years	Its own highest position
New South Wales, Australia	1962–2000	39	#2 in 1977
Republic of Ireland	1964–2025	61	#48 in 1984
Norway	1964–2025	53	#141 in 2012
New Zealand	1967–2002	36	#7 in 1984
England and Wales	1996–2025	30	#46 in 1996
Northern Ireland	1997–2023	26	#43 in 1997
Scotland	2024	1	#541 in 2024

Its high point came 47 years earlier in New South Wales, Australia (1977) than in Scotland (2024).

Variants

No spelling variants or nicknames recorded yet.

Similar Names

No similar names recorded yet for this name.

Similarity is a demonstration score — see methodology.

Spelling

Spelling simplicity

Calculated directly from the name's spelling — see Name Characteristics above.

No commonly used alternate spellings recorded.

Pronunciation

muh-LIS-uh/mə.ˈlɪs.ə/

Syllables: 3
Ease: easy

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Where Melissa Is Recorded

National statistical agencies have recorded Melissa in these places. This shows where the name is used — not where it comes from, and not that it carries particular cultural significance there.

New South Wales, AustraliaEngland and WalesNorthern IrelandScotlandRepublic of IrelandNorwayNew Zealand

Notable Usage

No safely-sourced notable usage recorded for this name yet.

Sibling & Surname Compatibility

Preview with a surname

Entirely local — nothing you type here is saved or sent anywhere.

Full sibling-set and initials-across-a-shortlist matching is a planned premium feature — see Premium.

Melissa

Melissa at a glance

What stands out in Melissa's record

Overview

Popularity

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Melissa across 6 official records

Melissa by decade in Republic of Ireland · Girls

Melissa appears in

What the record shows

Names published alongside Melissa

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Comparisons involving Melissa

Longest shared records

Closest long-running positions

Order changes

Compared inside New South Wales, Australia lists

Melissa and the names beside it

Melissa moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Melissa

Moved the opposite way to Melissa

Moved the same way as Melissa

Meaning & Origin

Where Melissa is officially recorded

Variants

Similar Names

Spelling

Pronunciation

Where Melissa Is Recorded

Notable Usage

Sibling & Surname Compatibility

Melissa at a glance

What stands out in Melissa's record

Melissa across 6 official records

Melissa by decade in Republic of Ireland · Girls

Melissa appears in

What the record shows

Names published alongside Melissa

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Comparisons involving Melissa

Longest shared records

Closest long-running positions

Order changes

Compared inside New South Wales, Australia lists

Melissa and the names beside it

Melissa moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Melissa

Moved the opposite way to Melissa

Moved the same way as Melissa