Melissa is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Melissa means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Melissa across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Melissa has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Melissa is a girl name of Greek origin meaning “honey bee”. a figure in Greek mythology.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 762,623 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 13,128 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 4,084 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 420 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 3,215 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 6,898 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Melissa per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1979 (34,179/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (1,282/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1994 (224/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1984 (162/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (55/yr).
Melissa has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1979, when it ranked #10 nationally (given to 34,317 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1970s.
Melisa · Malissa · Mellissa · Mellisa · Milissa · Melissia · Malisa · Malisia
Not sure if it's the one? The best way to know is to see if your partner loves it too. Swipe baby names with your partner and match on the ones you both ❤️, free, no account needed to start.
Find your name together →