Total births
502
Girls' name · since 1954
Melessa
502 babies named Melessa in U.S. Social Security records since 1954, with the highest year being 1976. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 502
- total births
- 1954–1992
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 39%
- born in that decade
Melessa sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 502 recorded since 1954.
Social Security Administration records show Melessa recorded 502 times among girls since 1954, 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 1954 to 1992.
- 502 total births
- 1954–1992 years on record
- 1970s peak decade
- 39% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
502 girls have been named Melessa since 1954, peaking in the 1970s, last recorded in 1992.
- 502
- total births
- 1954–1992
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 39%
- born in that decade
1970s
Peak decade
39% of everyone ever named Melessa was born in this single decade.
1976
Single peak year
28 babies were named Melessa in 1976 - its busiest year on record.
Melessa's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Melessa's full recorded timeline at 1973, 52% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 48% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1954, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1976 peak of 28 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Melessa at a glance
Last recorded 1992Peak year
1976
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1954
Melessa popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1954–1992
- Peak year (1976)
- 28
- Annual births at peak, across 39 years of records
Melessa by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Melessa's strongest decade.
196 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 39% of all-time use.
Melessa births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 34
1950s
34 births
- 1960s
1960s
152 births
- 1970s
1970s
196 births
- 1980s
1980s
99 births
- 1990s 21
1990s
21 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 196 births (39% of all-time use).
How Melessa 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 Melessa's total volume
Melessa vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Melessa by state
Where Melessa concentrates geographically, total births since 1954
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 5 | 1.0% |
California share of Melessa's total US births 1.0%
5 of 502 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Melessa? ▼
502 babies have been named Melessa since 1954. It was last recorded in 1992. The peak year was 1976 with 28 births.
When was Melessa most popular? ▼
Melessa was most popular in the 1970s decade with 196 total births. The single peak year was 1976.
Where is Melessa most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Melessa are California (5 births).
How long has the name Melessa been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Melessa since 1954 -- 39 years through the most recent 1992 data.
What names are similar to Melessa? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Melissa, Melanie, Melinda, Melody, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Melessa's data
- Melessa's decade-level peak was the 1970s (196 total births); usage has since declined to 21 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Melessas (5 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 Melessa
Nearby Names Like Melessa
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Melessa
Melissa Girl
#379 760,128 births
Melanie Girl
#122 262,640 births
Melinda Girl
#2099 135,822 births
Melody Girl
#91 114,914 births
Melba Girl
#11152 34,873 births
Compare Melessa side by side: Melessa vs Melissa Melessa vs Melanie Melessa vs Melinda
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1954–1992 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Melessa: Baby Name Since 1954 - 502 Births, Peak 1976." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/melessa. 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 Melessa 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 June 2026.