Mellissa
A female given name from Ancient Greek, a nonstandard spelling variant of Melissa.
Every Mellissa since 1926 — 5,625 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Mellissa
Mellissa is not currently in use for newborns in the United States — fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.
Since 1926, 5,625 American babies have been named Mellissa. Its peak came in 1979, when 272 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 Mellissa stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Mellissa year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — |
| 2024 | — | — |
| 2023 | — | — |
| 2022 | — | — |
| 2021 | — | — |
| 2020 | — | — |
| 2019 | — | — |
| 2018 | 5 | #17,333 |
| 2017 | — | — |
| 2016 | 8 | #12,505 |
| 2015 | — | — |
| 2014 | — | — |
| 2013 | — | — |
| 2012 | 6 | #16,236 |
| 2011 | 10 | #10,921 |
| 2010 | 13 | #9,064 |
| 2009 | 11 | #10,430 |
| 2008 | 17 | #7,635 |
| 2007 | 17 | #7,635 |
| 2006 | 22 | #6,061 |
| 2005 | 15 | #7,776 |
| 2004 | 20 | #6,136 |
| 2003 | 21 | #5,729 |
| 2002 | 28 | #4,468 |
| 2001 | 25 | #4,786 |
| 2000 | 25 | #4,741 |
| 1995 | 67 | #2,043 |
| 1990 | 129 | #1,269 |
| 1985 | 185 | #870 |
| 1980 | 250 | #691 |
| 1975 | 171 | #806 |
| 1970 | 191 | #763 |
| 1965 | 69 | #1,316 |
| 1960 | 28 | #2,230 |
| 1955 | 11 | #3,716 |
| 1950 | 7 | #4,598 |
| 1945 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Mellissa mean?
A female given name from Ancient Greek, a nonstandard spelling variant of Melissa.
How popular is the name Mellissa in 2025?
Mellissa did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.
How many people are named Mellissa?
5,625 babies have been named Mellissa in the United States since 1926, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Mellissa most popular?
Mellissa peaked in 1979, when 272 newborns received the name.
Is Mellissa a boy or girl name?
Mellissa is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Mellissa rising or falling?
Mellissa has been roughly stable over the past decade.