Total births
5,625
Girls' name · since 1926
Mellissa
Mellissa has 5,625 recorded births since 1926 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1979 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 5,625
- total births
- 1926–2018
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 34%
- born in that decade
Mellissa is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 5,625 have been recorded since 1926.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Mellissa has been recorded 5,625 times among girls since 1926, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, 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 1926 to 2018.
- 5,625 total births
- 1926–2018 years on record
- 1970s peak decade
- 34% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
5,625 girls have been named Mellissa since 1926, peaking in the 1970s, last recorded in 2018.
- 5,625
- total births
- 1926–2018
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 34%
- born in that decade
1970s
Peak decade
34% of everyone ever named Mellissa was born in this single decade.
1979
Single peak year
272 babies were named Mellissa in 1979 - its busiest year on record.
Mellissa's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Mellissa's full recorded timeline at 1981, 43% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 57% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1926, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1979 peak of 272 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Mellissa at a glance
Last recorded 2018Peak year
1979
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1926
Mellissa popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1926–2018
- Peak year (1979)
- 272
- Annual births at peak, across 93 years of records
Mellissa by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Mellissa's strongest decade.
1,921 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Mellissa births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 5
1920s
5 births
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
- 1950s 143
1950s
143 births
- 1960s
1960s
874 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,921 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,730 births
- 1990s 704
1990s
704 births
- 2000s 201
2000s
201 births
- 2010s 42
2010s
42 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 1,921 births (34% of all-time use).
How Mellissa 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 Mellissa's total volume
Mellissa vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Mellissa by state
Where Mellissa concentrates geographically, total births since 1926
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 636 | 11.3% |
| #2 | Texas | | 292 | 5.2% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 272 | 4.8% |
| #4 | New York | | 265 | 4.7% |
| #5 | Florida | | 225 | 4.0% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 225 | 4.0% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 168 | 3.0% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 164 | 2.9% |
California share of Mellissa's total US births 11.3%
Even split
636 of 5,625 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 34 reporting states.
Mellissa appears in 34 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Mellissa? ▼
Since 1926, Social Security records show 5,625 babies named Mellissa. The most recent recorded year was 2018. Its busiest year on record was 1979, with 272 births.
When was Mellissa most popular? ▼
Mellissa was most popular in the 1970s decade with 1,921 total births. The single peak year was 1979.
Where is Mellissa most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Mellissa are California (636 births), Texas (292 births), Ohio (272 births).
How long has the name Mellissa been used? ▼
Mellissa has been recorded in Social Security data since 1926, spanning 93 years of data through 2018.
What names are similar to Mellissa? ▼
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 Mellissa's data
- Mellissa's decade-level peak was the 1970s (1,921 total births); usage has since declined to 42 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Mellissas (636 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 Mellissa
Nearby Names Like Mellissa
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Mellissa
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 Mellissa side by side: Mellissa vs Melissa Mellissa vs Melanie Mellissa vs Melinda
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1926–2018 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Mellissa: Baby Name Since 1926 - 5,625 Births, Peak 1979." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/mellissa. 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 Mellissa 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.