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.
- #11,839 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 502
- born since 1954
- 1970s
- peak 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.
- #11,839 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 502 born since 1954
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Melessa ranks #11,839 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 502 born since 1954, peaking in the 1970s.
- #11,839 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 502
- born since 1954
- 1970s
- peak decade
Melessa's 502 recorded births place it above 83.62% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by California.
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 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
1970s is the heaviest window (196 births, 39% of the file).
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 by state
Where Melessa concentrates geographically, total births since 1954
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 5 | 1.0% |
5 of 502 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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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
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
Compare Melessa side by side: Melessa vs Melissa Melessa vs Melanie Melessa vs Melinda
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Melessa: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1976)
Similar record span (~38 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 August 2026.