Melisa
Girl name · #2940 in 2025 · Very rare
Melisa is currently the #2940 girl name in the United States — 57 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2590, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 31,579 girls born in 2025 was named Melisa.
Babies named Melisa per year. Source: SSA.
The 77-year story
Melisa first appears in the Social Security records in 1948, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1979, when 661 girls were named Melisa — good for #350 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Melisa against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Melisa in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Melisa is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Melisa will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Melisa is most common
State-level data for Melisa is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Melisa
Statistically, parents drawn to Melisa tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Alisa, Malinda, Marlena, Maricela, and Trisha.
AlisaMalindaMarlenaMaricelaTrishaMarisaImeldaKeisha
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Melisa | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 57 | #2933 |
| 2024 | 53 | #3047 |
| 2023 | 54 | #3047 |
| 2022 | 51 | #3171 |
| 2021 | 53 | #3069 |
| 2020 | 44 | #3450 |
| 2019 | 67 | #2593 |
| 2018 | 69 | #2532 |
| 2017 | 74 | #2432 |
| 2016 | 73 | #2479 |
| 2015 | 69 | #2590 |
| 2014 | 83 | #2256 |
| 2013 | 110 | #1834 |
| 2012 | 126 | #1680 |
| 2011 | 132 | #1633 |
| 2010 | 129 | #1649 |
| 2009 | 134 | #1660 |
| 2008 | 153 | #1521 |
| 2007 | 163 | #1445 |
| 2006 | 189 | #1268 |
| 2005 | 188 | #1214 |
| 2004 | 253 | #952 |
| 2003 | 228 | #1013 |
| 2002 | 200 | #1063 |
| 2001 | 216 | #993 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Melisa a popular girl name?
Melisa ranked #2940 among girls in 2025 with 57 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2590.
When was the name Melisa most popular?
Melisa peaked in 1979, when 661 American girls received the name (ranked #350 that year). Since 1979 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Melisa?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 31,579 newborn American girls was named Melisa. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.