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.
- #3,317 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 3,412
- born since 1962
- 1990s
- peak 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.
- #3,317 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 3,412 born since 1962
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Merissa ranks #3,317 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 3,412 born since 1962, peaking in the 1990s.
- #3,317 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 3,412
- born since 1962
- 1990s
- peak decade
Merissa's 3,412 recorded births place it above 95.41% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
22 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
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 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
1990s is the heaviest window (1,400 births, 41% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Merissa sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Merissa most popular? ▼
Where is Merissa most popular? ▼
How long has the name Merissa been used? ▼
What names are similar to Merissa? ▼
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
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
Compare Merissa side by side: Merissa vs Meredith Merissa vs Mercedes Merissa vs Merle
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Merissa: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1995)
Similar record span (~57 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, 1962–2019 (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 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 August 2026.