Girl · #15,678 in 2026

Mellissa

Name: Popularity of the name Mellissa in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Mellissa, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Current Rank

#15,678

Peak Rank

#639 (1979)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1926

First Year

2018

Last Year

1979

Peak Year

#639

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

The Story of Mellissa

The earliest SSA record of Mellissa as a baby girl name dates back to 1926, when 5 babies received it. 1979 was its biggest year on record, with 272 newborns named Mellissa — #639 in the national rankings. The 1970s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 34% of all recorded Mellissas. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2018 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 6K Mellissas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Mellissa

Phonetically similar names — useful when Mellissa is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mellissa

What does the name Mellissa mean?

Mellissa is a girl's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1926. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Mellissa in 2026?

In 2026, Mellissa ranks #15,678 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Mellissa most popular?

Mellissa reached its peak popularity in 1979, ranking #639 that year with 272 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Mellissa most popular?

Mellissa has historically been most popular in Rhode Island, Idaho, West Virginia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Mellissa.

Is Mellissa a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Mellissa is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Mellissa?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Mellissa include Tawanda, Sonji, Johannah. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Mellissa

Mellissa is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1926 and has accumulated 6K births in the dataset. Mellissa's peak popularity came in 1979 when it ranked #639. Use the chart and map above to compare Mellissa's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.