girl's name
Jessica
JESS-i-ka
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (E&W)
- Births on record 1,295,741
the United States
#665
2025 births
Jessica is a girl's name invented by Shakespeare for The Merchant of Venice in 1596. He appears to have adapted the Hebrew Iscah, a name appearing once in Genesis, usually read as "he beholds."
- Jessica is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in US records in 1987, when 56,235 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 1,464 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Jessica over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. Jessica is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 94 |
| 1890s | 135 |
| 1900s | 159 |
| 1910s | 411 |
| 1920s | 410 |
| 1930s | 499 |
| 1940s | 2,204 |
| 1950s | 4,559 |
| 1960s | 13,726 |
| 1970s | 144,020 |
| 1980s | 471,530 |
| 1990s | 303,905 |
| 2000s | 90,851 |
| 2010s | 18,247 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,557 |
What Jessica means
Jessica is usually given as he beholds, or one who looks out, from the Hebrew Iscah. Because the name is Shakespeare's coinage, the meaning belongs to his source rather than to the name as used.
Where Jessica comes from
Jessica first appears in print in The Merchant of Venice, as the name of Shylock's daughter. Shakespeare's likely source is Iscah — Jesca in the Geneva Bible he would have known — a woman named once in Genesis as Abraham's niece, from a root meaning to behold or look out. No earlier use of Jessica has been found, which makes it one of a small group of names Shakespeare put into the language, alongside Miranda, Olivia, Imogen and Perdita.
Jessica in use
Our data shows Jessica falling, peaking in 1987, at 139 in England and Wales. It first appears in our records in 1880. Its 1987 peak places it with Sarah, Emma and Rebecca — a cohort of girls' names that dominated the 1980s and fell together in the 1990s.
How popular is Jessica?
In 2025, Jessica was given to 360 babies in England and Wales, ranking #139 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Where Jessica is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
How Jessica is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Jéssica | Jéssica is a rare spelling of Jessica, written with an acute accent and recorded about 85 times, mostly in France. | 85 |
Names that peaked alongside Jessica
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Jessica also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Jessica over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
3 nicknames for Jessica
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Jessica in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Jessica
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Jessica — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Jessica
What does the name Jessica mean?
Usually "he beholds," from the Hebrew Iscah — though the name itself is Shakespeare's coinage.
Did Shakespeare invent Jessica?
It first appears in The Merchant of Venice in 1596, and no earlier use has been found.
What other names did Shakespeare invent?
Miranda, Olivia, Perdita and — by way of a printer's error — Imogen.
How popular is the name Jessica?
In 2025, Jessica was given to 360 babies in England and Wales, ranking #139 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Is Jessica a girl's or a boy's name?
Jessica is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Jessica?
Jessica has 3 syllables.
When was Jessica most popular?
Jessica peaked in 1987, when 56,235 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Jessica?
Jessica is usually shortened to Jess, Jessie and Jessi.
Is Jessica a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Jessica currently ranks #49 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.