Every year, the new first name statistics published by INSEE reserve their share of surprises. In the 2025 edition, a feminine first name that was until then almost invisible in France made a spectacular leap, suddenly gaining 794 places in the ranking. According to data from the National Identification Directory of Natural Persons, births bearing this first name increased from 25 in 2024 to 70 in 2025. A strong signal which calls out to future parents.
This first name in full rise is Manissahighlighted from INSEE statistics 2025. Manissa went from 1,421st place in 2024 to 627th place in 2025, while remembering that this score remains modest on a national scale. This rapid rise rather illustrates a take-off after years of discretion, like other recent first names which have suddenly found their audience.
The Insee figures which reveal the breakthrough of the first name Manissa
According to INSEE data, 70 little girls received the
first name Manissa in 2025, compared to 25 in 2024. The jump of 794 places in the ranking of female first names comes from this very weak starting base. INSEE publishes these figures for all births registered in the civil registry in France since 1900, with numbers rounded to the multiple of 5 and only from 3 births.
The first little girl named Manissa in France was registered in 1987, making it a very recent choice compared to the classics. Even in 2025, this first name only appears in 627th place and therefore remains a rare female first name. For many parents, it is precisely this balance between novelty and discretion that makes it attractive.
Why the name Manissa ticks the boxes of today’s parents
Manissa is generally considered a variation of Melissa or Manisah depending on the culture, and it is mainly worn in the countries of Maghreb and in families ofBerber origin orArabic origin. This multicultural dimension speaks to parents who want a first name linked to their roots, while remaining easy to wear in France and understandable by everyone.
The first name Manissa is short, fluid and simple to pronounce, while keeping an original sound. Its ending in – has joined the wave of first names like Lina, Inaya, Mila or Nora, very present in recent years. Many parents today are looking for a distinctive but not complicated first name, one that fits well into class lists without being heard on every street corner.
Will the first name Manissa continue to rise in the coming years?
Manissa first settled in certain territories. The site lists, for example, 29 births bearing this first name in Bouches-du-Rhône, 10 in the Alpes-Maritimes and 9 in Seine-Saint-Denis. These departments where links with the Maghreb are strong often serve as a laboratory for new multicultural first names before they gradually spread to the rest of the country.
Manissa’s dynamic has every chance of continuing, driven by the fashion for rare and multicultural first names. The first name could therefore continue to slowly climb the birth lists.