Missie
A variant of the feminine name Melissa, derived from the Greek for "honey bee".
Name Census estimates that about 442 living Americans carry the first name Missie. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Missie today is around 56 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Missie births was 1968 (38 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Missie. 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.
People living today
442
~ 1 in 775,462 Americans
Peak year
1968
38 babies that year
Average age
56
years old
2015 SSA rank
#15,802
Tracked since 1883
Popularity
Missie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Missie from the 1880s through to the 2010s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 213 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Missie 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 Missie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Missies live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Alabama, Missouri, North Carolina recorded the most babies named Missie, while Texas, North Carolina, Missouri recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 5 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Missie
The given name Missie is believed to have originated from the French language, deriving from the word "mademoiselle," which means "young lady" or "unmarried woman." This name likely emerged in the early modern period, around the 16th or 17th century, when French culture and language held significant influence across Europe.
Missie was initially used as a diminutive or nickname for names like Melissa or Melisande, both of which have Greek roots and are associated with the idea of honeybee or honey. Therefore, Missie may have carried connotations of sweetness and charm from its earliest usage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Missie can be found in the works of the English novelist Frances Burney, who lived from 1752 to 1840. In her novel "Evelina," published in 1778, she introduces a character named Miss Mirvan, often referred to as Missie.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Missie. One of the most prominent was Missie Rennie Wylie (1909-1988), a Scottish artist and painter known for her vibrant depictions of rural life and landscapes. Her works are displayed in various galleries across Scotland and the United Kingdom.
Another notable Missie was Missie White (1876-1946), an American actress and vaudeville performer who gained popularity during the early 20th century. She was known for her comedic talents and appeared in numerous stage productions and early silent films.
In the literary world, Missie Vaugh Cumming (1908-1986) was an American author and journalist who wrote several books on travel, culture, and history. Her work often focused on the American South and its rich heritage.
The name Missie also has connections to the world of sports. Missie Berteotti (1901-1978) was an American tennis player who competed in the early decades of the 20th century. She achieved notable success, reaching the semifinals of the U.S. National Championships (now the U.S. Open) in 1921.
Lastly, Missie Sumner (born 1948) is an American businesswoman and philanthropist who has been actively involved in various charitable organizations, particularly those focused on children's welfare and education.
While the name Missie may have originated from a specific cultural and linguistic context, its enduring appeal and use across different regions and time periods demonstrate its versatility and charm.
People
Missie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Missie 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
Missie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Missie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 442 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Missie 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 775,462 US residents.
Is Missie a common name?
We classify Missie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 870 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Missie most popular?
The single biggest year for Missie was 1968, when 38 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Missie is about 56 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Missie a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Missie 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.