Total births
19,111
Girls' name · since 1948
Melisa
Since 1948, U.S. Social Security records show 19,111 babies named Melisa, peaking in 1979. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3057
- among girls today
- 19,111
- born since 1948
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 83%
- more common than other girls
19,111 babies have been named Melisa since 1948, making it today's #3057 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Melisa has been recorded 19,111 times among girls since 1948, currently ranked #3057 nationally and more common than 83% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1970s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1948 to 2025.
- #3057 among girls today
- 19,111 born since 1948
- 1970s peak decade
- 83% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Melisa is currently the #3057 girls' name in America, more common than 83% of girls - 19,111 born since 1948, peaking in the 1970s.
- #3057
- among girls today
- 19,111
- born since 1948
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 83%
- more common than other girls
Melisa vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3057
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 83% of names given to girls today.
1970s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Melisa was born in this single decade.
1979
Single peak year
661 babies were named Melisa in 1979 - its busiest year on record.
How Melisa compares
19,111 Top 6% higher than 94% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Melisa's all-time total is 50x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Melisa | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 19,111 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 661 | 48 | 19,840 |
Melisa's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Melisa splits its recorded history at 1987: 33% of all births land in the more recent half, 67% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1948 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1979 peak of 661 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Melisa at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1979
Current rank
#3,057
Active since
1948
Melisa popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1948–2025
- Peak year (1979)
- 661
- Annual births at peak, across 78 years of records
Melisa popularity over time - boys
10 total births recorded since 1972 (Melisa as boys' name)
Melisa by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Melisa's strongest decade.
5,890 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Melisa births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 10
1940s
10 births
- 1950s 473
1950s
473 births
- 1960s
1960s
3,396 births
- 1970s
1970s
5,890 births
- 1980s
1980s
3,885 births
- 1990s 2,276
1990s
2,276 births
- 2000s 1,937
2000s
1,937 births
- 2010s 932
2010s
932 births
- 2020s 312
2020s
312 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 5,890 births (31% of all-time use).
How Melisa 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 Melisa's total volume
Melisa vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Melisa by state
Where Melisa concentrates geographically, total births since 1948
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 2,716 | 14.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,888 | 9.9% |
| #3 | New York | | 1,237 | 6.5% |
| #4 | Florida | | 855 | 4.5% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 819 | 4.3% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 610 | 3.2% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 602 | 3.2% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 586 | 3.1% |
California share of Melisa's total US births 14.2%
Even split
2,716 of 19,111 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 46 reporting states.
Melisa appears in 46 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Melisa? ▼
Melisa has been given to 19,111 babies in the U.S. since 1948, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #3057 as of the latest data. 661 babies were born in 1979, its single highest year.
When was Melisa most popular? ▼
Melisa was most popular in the 1970s decade with 5,890 total births. The single peak year was 1979.
Where is Melisa most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Melisa are California (2,716 births), Texas (1,888 births), New York (1,237 births).
How long has the name Melisa been used? ▼
Records for Melisa go back to 1948, giving 78 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Melisa? ▼
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 Melisa's data
- Melisa's decade-level peak was the 1970s (5,890 total births); usage has since declined to 312 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Melisas (2,716 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 Melisa
Nearby Names Like Melisa
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Melisa
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 Melisa side by side: Melisa vs Melissa Melisa vs Melanie Melisa vs Melinda
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Melisa
Maricela #3056
13,077 births · Peak 1977
Amity #3058
2,163 births · Peak 1979
Randi #3055
29,663 births · Peak 1982
Yumi #3059
1,022 births · Peak 2025
Carley #3054
16,918 births · Peak 1998
Gabby #3060
1,246 births · Peak 2022
Truly #3053
1,092 births · Peak 2025
Kezia #3061
2,424 births · Peak 2007
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, 1948–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Melisa: #3057 Girls' Name - 19,111 Births, Peak 1979." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/melisa. 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 Melisa 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.