Girl
Melissa
honey bee
About Melissa
Consider the gentle sweetness inherent in this melodic choice—a name that has maintained steady popularity across decades without ever feeling overused. Melissa possesses an inherent femininity balanced by substantive presence, making it suitable for both playground and boardroom. The three-syllable rhythm creates natural musicality, while the soft consonants prevent harshness. This name has proven its staying power, appearing consistently throughout literature, film, and everyday life without becoming a fleeting trend. It offers built-in nickname potential while standing beautifully on its own. Parents who choose Melissa often value reliability and classic appeal, seeking a name their daughter won't need to constantly spell or explain, yet one that maintains distinctive character and timeless beauty.
Popularity of the Name Melissa
Rank among the 1,000 most popular baby names, by year.
| United States | United Kingdom | New Zealand | Ireland | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | #274 | ||||
| 1881 | #256 | ||||
| 1882 | #276 | ||||
| 1883 | #276 | ||||
| 1884 | #279 | ||||
| 1885 | #299 | ||||
| 1886 | #274 | ||||
| 1887 | #370 | ||||
| 1888 | #384 | ||||
| 1889 | #355 | ||||
| 1890 | #390 | ||||
| 1891 | #474 | ||||
| 1892 | #469 | ||||
| 1893 | #372 | ||||
| 1894 | #392 | ||||
| 1895 | #448 | ||||
| 1896 | #562 | ||||
| 1897 | #495 | ||||
| 1898 | #539 | ||||
| 1899 | #427 | ||||
| 1900 | #536 | ||||
| 1901 | #527 | ||||
| 1902 | #505 | ||||
| 1903 | #553 | ||||
| 1904 | #719 | ||||
| 1905 | #650 | ||||
| 1906 | #787 | ||||
| 1907 | #611 | ||||
| 1908 | #753 | ||||
| 1909 | #702 | ||||
| 1910 | #614 | ||||
| 1911 | #785 | ||||
| 1912 | #776 | ||||
| 1913 | #772 | ||||
| 1914 | #814 | ||||
| 1915 | #805 | ||||
| 1916 | #854 | ||||
| 1917 | #950 | ||||
| 1918 | #909 | ||||
| 1920 | #956 | ||||
| 1921 | #917 | ||||
| 1922 | #889 | ||||
| 1930 | #976 | ||||
| 1932 | #896 | ||||
| 1933 | #968 | ||||
| 1935 | #872 | ||||
| 1936 | #919 | ||||
| 1937 | #718 | ||||
| 1938 | #754 | ||||
| 1939 | #631 | ||||
| 1940 | #716 | ||||
| 1941 | #594 | ||||
| 1942 | #599 | ||||
| 1943 | #548 | ||||
| 1944 | #542 | ||||
| 1945 | #532 | ||||
| 1946 | #567 | ||||
| 1947 | #460 | ||||
| 1948 | #318 | ||||
| 1949 | #276 | ||||
| 1950 | #240 | ||||
| 1951 | #229 | ||||
| 1952 | #201 | ||||
| 1953 | #163 | ||||
| 1954 | #170 | ||||
| 1955 | #149 | ||||
| 1956 | #150 | ||||
| 1957 | #147 | ||||
| 1958 | #130 | #303 | |||
| 1959 | #127 | ||||
| 1960 | #109 | ||||
| 1961 | #95 | ||||
| 1962 | #68 | #289 | |||
| 1963 | #61 | ||||
| 1964 | #53 | #279 | #414 | ||
| 1965 | #38 | #114 | #275 | ||
| 1966 | #22 | #109 | #284 | ||
| 1967 | #9 | #76 | |||
| 1968 | #5 | #81 | #257 | ||
| 1969 | #5 | #49 | #212 | ||
| 1970 | #7 | #44 | #219 | ||
| 1971 | #7 | #44 | #182 | ||
| 1972 | #7 | #27 | #159 | ||
| 1973 | #6 | #13 | #177 | ||
| 1974 | #7 | #17 | #214 | ||
| 1975 | #4 | #32 | #166 | ||
| 1976 | #3 | #12 | #101 | ||
| 1977 | #2 | #11 | #127 | ||
| 1978 | #2 | #10 | #126 | ||
| 1979 | #2 | #14 | #109 | ||
| 1980 | #4 | #9 | #94 | ||
| 1981 | #5 | #11 | #91 | ||
| 1982 | #5 | #11 | #99 | ||
| 1983 | #6 | #8 | #58 | ||
| 1984 | #8 | #7 | #48 | ||
| 1985 | #11 | #7 | #60 | ||
| 1986 | #12 | #8 | #69 | ||
| 1987 | #13 | #9 | #61 | ||
| 1988 | #16 | #14 | #68 | ||
| 1989 | #19 | #8 | #69 | ||
| 1990 | #20 | #8 | #64 | ||
| 1991 | #20 | #14 | #57 | #7 | |
| 1992 | #24 | #13 | #59 | #8 | |
| 1993 | #30 | #21 | #61 | #8 | |
| 1994 | #31 | #34 | #55 | #9 | |
| 1995 | #35 | #36 | #98 | #10 | |
| 1996 | #42 | #53 | #64 | #15 | |
| 1997 | #44 | #46 | #57 | #80 | #19 |
| 1998 | #59 | #52 | #57 | #101 | #24 |
| 1999 | #64 | #56 | #71 | #85 | #29 |
| 2000 | #71 | #62 | #81 | #123 | #44 |
| 2001 | #74 | #68 | #78 | #133 | #45 |
| 2002 | #80 | #79 | #69 | #139 | #68 |
| 2003 | #96 | #79 | #102 | #195 | #84 |
| 2004 | #98 | #79 | #169 | #131 | #103 |
| 2005 | #104 | #98 | #191 | #133 | #103 |
| 2006 | #117 | #101 | #216 | #133 | #113 |
| 2007 | #137 | #125 | #299 | #172 | #142 |
| 2008 | #134 | #121 | #234 | #172 | #134 |
| 2009 | #137 | #125 | #215 | #207 | #157 |
| 2010 | #156 | #149 | #254 | #187 | #202 |
| 2011 | #184 | #182 | #246 | #167 | #236 |
| 2012 | #178 | #184 | #276 | #166 | #226 |
| 2013 | #202 | #217 | #265 | #245 | #316 |
| 2014 | #224 | #225 | #260 | #269 | #266 |
| 2015 | #253 | #228 | #270 | #252 | |
| 2016 | #260 | #217 | #410 | #331 | #317 |
| 2017 | #275 | #228 | #208 | #379 | |
| 2018 | #299 | #227 | #244 | #349 | |
| 2019 | #340 | #287 | #358 | #257 | #393 |
| 2020 | #349 | #245 | #272 | #261 | #389 |
| 2021 | #372 | #259 | #165 | #389 | |
| 2022 | #379 | #269 | #166 | #410 | |
| 2023 | #411 | #249 | #207 | #432 | |
| 2024 | #379 | #297 | #357 | #318 | |
| 2025 | #420 | #337 | #180 | #358 |
Top names by country: United States · United Kingdom · New Zealand · Ireland · Canada
Variations of Name Melissa
Names Similar to Melissa
Nicknames for Melissa
- Mel
- Lissa
- Missy
- Lissie
- Lis
Famous People Named Melissa
| Melissa McCarthy | American actress and comedian |
| Melissa Joan Hart | American actress known for her role in "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" |
| Melissa Etheridge | American singer-songwriter and activist |
| Melissa Benoist | American actress known for playing Supergirl on the TV series |
| Melissa Rauch | American actress known for her role on "The Big Bang Theory" |
| Melissa Leo | American actress and Academy Award winner |
| Melissa Auf der Maur | Canadian musician and former bassist of the band Hole |
| Melissa Mathison | American screenwriter known for writing the screenplay of "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" |
| Melissa Fumero | American actress known for her role on the TV series "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" |
| Melissa Rivers | American actress and television host, daughter of Joan Rivers |
| Melissa George | Australian actress known for her roles in TV shows like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Alias" |
| Melissa Manchester | American singer-songwriter and actress |
| Melissa McBride | American actress known for her role on "The Walking Dead" |
| Melissa Peterman | American actress and comedian known for her role on the TV series "Reba" |
| Melissa Ordway | American actress and model |
| Melissa Francis | American television journalist and news anchor |
| Melissa Gilbert | American actress known for her role as Laura Ingalls Wilder on the TV series "Little House on the Prairie" |
Characters Named Melissa
| Melissa McCall | Character from the TV series "Teen Wolf" |
| Melissa Hastings | Character from the TV series "Pretty Little Liars" |
| Melissa P. | Protagonist of the novel "100 Strokes of the Brush Before Bed" |
| Melissa Glaser | Character from the TV series "The Secret Circle" |
| Melissa Gorga | Character from the reality TV series "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" |
| Melissa Warburton | Character from the TV series "Parks and Recreation" |
| Melissa Scully | Character from the TV series "The X-Files" |
| Melissa Gold | Character from the Marvel Comics series "Alpha Flight" |
| Melissa Edelman | Character from the TV series "My So-Called Life" |
| Melissa Chartres | Character from the TV series "The Last Man on Earth" |
| Melissa Morgan | Character from the TV series "Fame" |
| Melissa Morris | Character from the TV series "Power Rangers" |
| Melissa Lewis | Character from the film "The Babysitter" |
| Melissa Robinson | Character from the film "The Naked Gun" series |
| Melissa Burke | Character from the TV series "White Collar" |
| Melissa "Missy" Cooper | Character from the TV series "Young Sheldon" |