Total births
3,412
Girls' name · since 1962
Merissa
3,412 babies named Merissa in U.S. Social Security records since 1962, with the highest year being 1995. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 3,412
- total births
- 1962–2019
- years on record
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 41%
- born in that decade
Merissa is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 3,412 have been recorded since 1962.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Merissa has been recorded 3,412 times among girls since 1962, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1990s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1962 to 2019.
- 3,412 total births
- 1962–2019 years on record
- 1990s peak decade
- 41% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
3,412 girls have been named Merissa since 1962, peaking in the 1990s, last recorded in 2019.
- 3,412
- total births
- 1962–2019
- years on record
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 41%
- born in that decade
1990s
Peak decade
41% of everyone ever named Merissa was born in this single decade.
1995
Single peak year
172 babies were named Merissa in 1995 - its busiest year on record.
Merissa's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Merissa's full recorded timeline at 1993, 51% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 49% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1967, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1995 peak of 172 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Merissa at a glance
Last recorded 2019Peak year
1995
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1962
Merissa popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1962–2019
- Peak year (1995)
- 172
- Annual births at peak, across 58 years of records
Merissa by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Merissa's strongest decade.
1,400 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Merissa births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 17
1960s
17 births
- 1970s 306
1970s
306 births
- 1980s
1980s
853 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,400 births
- 2000s
2000s
711 births
- 2010s 125
2010s
125 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 1,400 births (41% of all-time use).
How Merissa 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 Merissa's total volume
Merissa vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Merissa by state
Where Merissa concentrates geographically, total births since 1962
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 465 | 13.6% |
| #2 | New York | | 202 | 5.9% |
| #3 | Texas | | 196 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 125 | 3.7% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 104 | 3.0% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 90 | 2.6% |
| #7 | Florida | | 71 | 2.1% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 41 | 1.2% |
California share of Merissa's total US births 13.6%
Even split
465 of 3,412 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 22 reporting states.
Merissa appears in 22 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Merissa? ▼
Since 1962, Social Security records show 3,412 babies named Merissa. The most recent recorded year was 2019. Its busiest year on record was 1995, with 172 births.
When was Merissa most popular? ▼
Merissa was most popular in the 1990s decade with 1,400 total births. The single peak year was 1995.
Where is Merissa most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Merissa are California (465 births), New York (202 births), Texas (196 births).
How long has the name Merissa been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Merissa since 1962 -- 58 years through the most recent 2019 data.
What names are similar to Merissa? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Meredith, Mercedes, Merle, Mercy, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Merissa's data
- Merissa's decade-level peak was the 1990s (1,400 total births); usage has since declined to 125 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Merissas (465 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 Merissa
Nearby Names Like Merissa
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Merissa
Meredith Girl
#492 77,787 births
Mercedes Girl
#1446 46,206 births
Merle Girl
14,723 births
Mercy Girl
#845 10,632 births
Merry Girl
#6942 10,369 births
Compare Merissa side by side: Merissa vs Meredith Merissa vs Mercedes Merissa vs Merle
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, 1962–2019 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Merissa: Baby Name Since 1962 - 3,412 Births, Peak 1995." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/merissa. 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 Merissa 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.