Malissie
A feminine name of French origin meaning "unfortunate one".
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Malissie. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Malissie today is around 90 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Malissie births was 1915 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Malissie. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Malissie is about 90 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Malissies were born before 1946.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Malissie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
1915
17 babies that year
Average age
90
years old
1971 SSA rank
#9,075
Tracked since 1881
Popularity
Malissie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Malissie from the 1880s through to the 1970s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 126 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Malissie by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Malissie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Malissies live
Origin
Meaning and history of Malissie
The name Malissie has its origins in the ancient Greek language and culture, dating back to the classical era around the 5th century BCE. It is believed to be derived from the Greek word "melissa," which means "honey bee" or "bee." This name was often associated with sweetness, diligence, and industriousness, qualities that were admired in ancient Greek society.
In ancient Greek mythology, there are references to Melissa, a nymph who was known for her wisdom and skills in beekeeping. She was said to have discovered the art of making honey and taught it to humans. The name Malissie may have been inspired by this mythological figure, symbolizing the virtues of knowledge, wisdom, and nurturing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Malissie can be found in the works of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who mentioned a woman named Malissie from the city of Ephesus. However, details about her life and significance are scarce.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Malissie. One such person was Malissie of Crete (c. 250 BCE - c. 180 BCE), a renowned philosopher and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of ethics and moral philosophy. Her writings, unfortunately, have been lost to time, but she was highly regarded by her contemporaries.
Another prominent figure was Malissie of Thessaly (c. 100 CE - c. 180 CE), a skilled physician and herbalist who wrote extensively on the medicinal properties of plants and their applications in treating various ailments. Her works were widely referenced by later medical practitioners in the Byzantine Empire.
In the Middle Ages, Malissie of Genoa (c. 1220 - c. 1290) was a revered nun and mystic who was known for her devotion to charitable works and her guidance to the poor and sick. She was renowned for her healing abilities and her dedication to the service of others.
During the Renaissance period, Malissie Fiore (c. 1440 - c. 1510) was a celebrated artist and painter from Florence, Italy. Her vibrant and intricate works, often depicting scenes from classical mythology and religion, were highly sought after by wealthy patrons of the arts.
More recently, Malissie Dubois (1892 - 1972) was a French writer and poet who gained recognition for her lyrical and evocative poems that explored themes of love, nature, and the human experience. Her collections of poetry were widely acclaimed and translated into multiple languages.
People
Malissie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Malissie as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Malissie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Malissie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Malissie going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Malissie a common name?
We classify Malissie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 449 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Malissie most popular?
The single biggest year for Malissie was 1915, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Malissie is about 90 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Malissie a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Malissie in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.