Total births
8,866
Girls' name · since 1880
Malissa
8,866 babies named Malissa in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1979. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 8,866
- total births
- 1880–2025
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 30%
- born in that decade
Malissa sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 8,866 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Malissa recorded 8,866 times among girls since 1880, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- 8,866 total births
- 1880–2025 years on record
- 1970s peak decade
- 30% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
8,866 girls have been named Malissa since 1880, peaking in the 1970s, last recorded in 2025.
- 8,866
- total births
- 1880–2025
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 30%
- born in that decade
1970s
Peak decade
30% of everyone ever named Malissa was born in this single decade.
1979
Single peak year
307 babies were named Malissa in 1979 - its busiest year on record.
Malissa's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Malissa splits its recorded history at 1952: 84% of all births land in the more recent half, 16% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1938 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1979 peak of 307 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Malissa at a glance
Last recorded 2025Peak year
1979
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
Malissa popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1979)
- 307
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Malissa by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Malissa's strongest decade.
2,657 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Malissa births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 185
1880s
185 births
- 1890s 192
1890s
192 births
- 1900s 196
1900s
196 births
- 1910s 250
1910s
250 births
- 1920s 265
1920s
265 births
- 1930s 121
1930s
121 births
- 1940s 149
1940s
149 births
- 1950s 293
1950s
293 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,403 births
- 1970s
1970s
2,657 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,804 births
- 1990s 902
1990s
902 births
- 2000s 302
2000s
302 births
- 2010s 113
2010s
113 births
- 2020s 34
2020s
34 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 2,657 births (30% of all-time use).
How Malissa compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Malissa's total volume
Malissa vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Malissa by state
Where Malissa concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 809 | 9.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 401 | 4.5% |
| #3 | New York | | 351 | 4.0% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 292 | 3.3% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 288 | 3.2% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 252 | 2.8% |
| #7 | Florida | | 228 | 2.6% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 201 | 2.3% |
California share of Malissa's total US births 9.1%
Even split
809 of 8,866 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 38 reporting states.
Malissa appears in 38 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Malissa? ▼
8,866 babies have been named Malissa since 1880. It was last recorded in 2025. The peak year was 1979 with 307 births.
When was Malissa most popular? ▼
Malissa was most popular in the 1970s decade with 2,657 total births. The single peak year was 1979.
Where is Malissa most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Malissa are California (809 births), Texas (401 births), New York (351 births).
How long has the name Malissa been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Malissa since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Malissa? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Mallory, Malia, Malinda, Maliyah, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Malissa's data
- Malissa's decade-level peak was the 1970s (2,657 total births); usage has since declined to 34 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Malissas (809 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Malissa
Nearby Names Like Malissa
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Malissa
Mallory Girl
#412 59,044 births
Malia Girl
#328 31,606 births
Malinda Girl
#2857 21,464 births
Maliyah Girl
#589 15,359 births
Malaysia Girl
#855 11,031 births
Compare Malissa side by side: Malissa vs Mallory Malissa vs Malia Malissa vs Malinda
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Aviana #693
8,863 births · Peak 2016
Samira #774
8,875 births · Peak 2025
Jeanna #7305
8,881 births · Peak 1970
Roxann #15513
8,885 births · Peak 1955
Emmalyn #1125
8,847 births · Peak 2015
Alva #4473
8,889 births · Peak 1918
Lindy #1926
8,896 births · Peak 1979
Taliyah #1123
8,900 births · Peak 2008
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Malissa: Baby Name Since 1880 - 8,866 Births, Peak 1979." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/malissa. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Malissa draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.