Melisa: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#2,950

among girls · ↑121 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Melisa · +8% vs 2024

How common

1 in 28,198

girls born in 2025

Peak year

1979

661 babies

All-time total

19,121

#1,101 all-time among girls

First recorded

1948

in Social Security records

Melisa popularity over time

19,121 babies have been named Melisa since 1948, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Boys	Total	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1940s	10	–	10	1	–	#5,758
1950s	473	–	473	47	+4630%	#974
1960s	3,396	–	3,396	340	+618%	#383
1970s	5,890	10	5,900	590	+74%	#342
1980s	3,885	–	3,885	389	-34%	#405
1990s	2,276	–	2,276	228	-41%	#775
2000s	1,937	–	1,937	194	-15%	#953
2010s	932	–	932	93	-52%	#1,636
2020s (to 2025)	312	–	312	52	-44%	#2,950

Where Melisa is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	56	0.03	outside top 500
2027	56	0.03	outside top 500
2028	55	0.03	outside top 500
2029	55	0.03	outside top 500
2030	54	0.03	outside top 500

Where Melisa is most popular

Girls named Melisa per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.033 per 1,000. Strongest in Florida, California, and Tennessee.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Melisa born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Girls 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
Florida	19	0.044	+34%
California	32	0.038	+15%
Tennessee	6	0.038	+15%
Texas	26	0.032	≈ national
New York	10	0.025	-24%
North Carolina	5	0.022	-34%
Pennsylvania	5	0.021	-36%
Ohio	5	0.021	-36%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Arizona	–	–	–
Colorado	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Georgia	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Illinois	–	–	–
Indiana	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Massachusetts	–	–	–
Maryland	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Michigan	–	–	–
Minnesota	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Jersey	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Virginia	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Washington	–	–	–
Wisconsin	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Melisa

Melisa is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #2,950 in 2025 with 57 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1948, 19,121 American babies have been named Melisa. Its peak came in 1979, when 661 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1970s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Melisa stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Melisa?

The median living Melisa is about 45 years old; half are between 32 and 54. An estimated 18 thousand people named Melisa are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Melisa year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank	Boys	Boys rank
2025	57	#2,950	–	–
2024	53	#3,071	–	–
2023	54	#3,073	–	–
2022	51	#3,201	–	–
2021	53	#3,098	–	–
2020	44	#3,479	–	–
2019	67	#2,623	–	–
2018	69	#2,551	–	–
2017	74	#2,454	–	–
2016	73	#2,497	–	–
2015	69	#2,609	–	–
2014	83	#2,264	–	–
2013	110	#1,841	–	–
2012	126	#1,682	–	–
2011	132	#1,636	–	–
2010	129	#1,655	–	–
2009	134	#1,671	–	–
2008	153	#1,524	–	–
2007	163	#1,451	–	–
2006	189	#1,273	–	–
2005	188	#1,215	–	–
2004	253	#953	–	–
2003	228	#1,016	–	–
2002	200	#1,067	–	–
2001	216	#995	–	–
2000	213	#998	–	–
1995	197	#958	–	–
1990	264	#778	–	–
1985	379	#526	–	–
1980	566	#405	–	–
1975	548	#379	–	–
1970	556	#410	–	–
1965	372	#495	–	–
1960	140	#882	–	–
1955	36	#1,763	–	–
1950	6	#5,098	–	–
1945	–	–	–	–
1940	–	–	–	–
1935	–	–	–	–
1930	–	–	–	–
1925	–	–	–	–
1920	–	–	–	–
1915	–	–	–	–
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Famous people named Melisa

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Melisa Aslı Pamuk Miss Turkey 2011, actress and model (born 1991) Contemporary
2 Melisa Sözen Turkish actress (born 1985) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Melisa, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Melisa?

The median living Melisa is about 45 years old. Half of all living Melisas are between 32 and 54 years old.

How many people named Melisa are alive today?

An estimated 18 thousand people named Melisa are alive in the United States, based on 19,121 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Melisa mean?

Melisa is a common feminine Turkish given name.

How popular is the name Melisa in 2025?

Melisa ranked #2,950 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 57 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Melisa?

19,121 babies have been named Melisa in the United States since 1948, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Melisa most popular?

Melisa peaked in 1979, when 661 newborns received the name.

Is Melisa a boy or girl name?

Melisa is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Melisa rising or falling?

Melisa is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Melisa become more popular?

Melisa looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 54 girls named Melisa in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Melisa?

Well-known people named Melisa include Melisa Aslı Pamuk (celebrity), Melisa Sözen (actor).

Names like Melisa

Names that sound and feel close to Melisa: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Melisa with similar names → More names starting with M →