NameData
Name file · Girl · SSA 1880–2024
Melissa
Melissa is a girl's name.
▼ FallingGeneration X
759,386
Total named
46
Avg ageestimated
1979
Peak year
#376
Rank in 2024
Melissa peaked in 1979, when about 34,050 girls were given the name. Today it has nearly vanished from the charts, sitting at 376th — down about 98% from its peak. Most people named Melissa today are around 46 years old (estimated) — squarely Generation X. In all, roughly 759,386 girls have been named Melissa since record-keeping began in 1880.

📈 Popularity over time

How many girls were named Melissa each year, 1880–2024.
Peak: 197934,050 girls18801900192019401960198020002020

↔ Names from the same era

Other girls' names that peaked around the same time as Melissa:
MichelleAmyKimberlyAngelaLisaHeather
Data: U.S. Social Security Administration (public domain), 1880–2024. Average age is estimated from a survival curve, not actuarial tables.
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How we read a name

Every figure on this page comes from the U.S. Social Security Administration's public-domain record of names given to babies born in the United States from 1880 to 2024. The SSA only counts a name in a year if at least five babies received it.

Popularity & rank

The trajectory shows how many girls were named Melissa each year. The peak year is simply the year that count was highest, and the rank is where the name sat among all girls' names in 2024.

Estimated average age

We estimate the typical age of living people with this name by combining how many were born each year with a rough survival curve. It's a useful approximation for "how old does this name feel," not a precise actuarial figure — that's why we always label it estimated.

For general informational and entertainment purposes only. Counts reflect U.S. SSA card applications and may differ from total births. Figures are rounded.