Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1967

Missy

Meaning A diminutive of the female given name Melissa Gender Girl Rank 2025 #5,850 Trend ↑ Rising 42%

A diminutive of the female given name Melissa.

Rank 2025
#5,850
among girls · ↑477 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
21
named Missy
How common
1 in 76,537
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1967
303 babies
All-time total
5,776
#2,332 all-time among girls
First recorded
1943
in Social Security records

Missy popularity over time

5,776 babies have been named Missy since 1943, 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
0.050.10.150.218801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1967Girls

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 Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s – – – –
1920s – – – –
1930s – – – –
1940s 54 5 – #2,701
1950s 586 59 +985% #912
1960s 2,362 236 +303% #541
1970s 1,406 141 -40% #629
1980s 760 76 -46% #877
1990s 247 25 -67% #3,135
2000s 145 15 -41% #5,870
2010s 115 12 -21% #7,035
2020s (to 2025) 101 17 +46% #5,850

Where Missy 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 22 0.01 outside top 500
2027 24 0.01 outside top 500
2028 25 0.02 outside top 500
2029 26 0.02 outside top 500
2030 27 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Missy

Missy is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #5,850 in 2025 with 21 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1943, 5,776 American babies have been named Missy. Its peak came in 1967, when 303 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1960s.

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 Missy stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Missy?

The median living Missy is about 56 years old; half are between 45 and 61. An estimated 5,400 people named Missy are alive in the United States today.

median 56 020406080100

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

Missy year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank
2025 21 #5,850
2024 19 #6,327
2023 14 #7,924
2022 21 #5,914
2021 12 #8,828
2020 14 #7,838
2019 11 #9,546
2018 14 #8,034
2017 6 #15,355
2016 10 #10,618
2015 9 #11,561
2014 13 #8,810
2013 11 #10,033
2012 11 #10,202
2011 18 #7,035
2010 12 #9,623
2009 16 #7,956
2008 9 #12,292
2007 15 #8,403
2006 15 #8,120
2005 15 #7,792
2004 9 #11,334
2003 19 #6,235
2002 13 #8,154
2001 15 #7,209
2000 19 #5,870
1995 26 #4,065
1990 29 #3,686
1985 64 #1,778
1980 175 #877
1975 102 #1,144
1970 268 #629
1965 220 #666
1960 186 #749
1955 47 #1,492
1950 15 #2,741
1945 8 #3,592
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Missy

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

  1. 1 Missy Peregrym Missy Peregrym Canadian actress (born 1982) Contemporary
  2. 2 Missy Elliott Missy Elliott American rapper (born 1971) Contemporary
  3. 3 Missy Higgins Missy Higgins Australian musician (born 1983) Contemporary
  4. 4 Missy Franklin Missy Franklin American swimmer, Olympic gold medalist (born 1995) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Missy?

The median living Missy is about 56 years old. Half of all living Missys are between 45 and 61 years old.

How many people named Missy are alive today?

An estimated 5,400 people named Missy are alive in the United States, based on 5,776 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Missy mean?

A diminutive of the female given name Melissa.

How popular is the name Missy in 2025?

Missy ranked #5,850 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 21 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Missy?

5,776 babies have been named Missy in the United States since 1943, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Missy most popular?

Missy peaked in 1967, when 303 newborns received the name.

Is Missy a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Missy rising or falling?

Missy is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Missy become more popular?

Missy is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 27 girls named Missy in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Missy?

Well-known people named Missy include Missy Peregrym (actor), Missy Elliott (singer), Missy Higgins (musician).

Names like Missy

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

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