The first name Jessica
A girl’s name from Hebrew meaning “iscah in genesis 11:29”, “jescha in the wycliffe version”, “he will see/behold/look for”.
Pronounced /ˈd͡ʒɛsɪkə/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Hebrew origin
Jessica means “iscah in genesis 11:29”, “jescha in the wycliffe version”, “he will see/behold/look for” in Hebrew.
First used by William Shakespeare in Merchant of Venice in the early 17th century, probably from Hebrew יִסְכָּה (yiská, “Iscah in Genesis 11:29, Jescha in the Wycliffe version”), a proper name meaning "he will see/behold/look for", the 3ms imperfect form of a verb ultimately from the root ס־כ־ה (s-k-h), itself an alternative form of the root שׂ־כ־ה (ś-k-h), both of which mean "to see, behold, look for". * By folk etymology seen as an elaborate form of Jessie, from Jane.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 360 girls were named Jessica, making it the 139th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 6,711 births (#3).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Jessica with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Jessica at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 424 girls born in the United States were named Jessica, the 665th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1987, when 55,992 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Jessica in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Jessica in Danish, French, German, Romanian and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Jessica
212 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Jessica AlbaAmerican actress and businesswoman (born 1981)
- Jessica LangeAmerican actress, born 1949
- Jessica SimpsonAmerican singer and actress, born 1980
- Jessica BielAmerican actress (born 1982)
- Sarah Jessica ParkerAmerican actress (born 1965)
- Jessica ChastainAmerican actress and producer (born 1977)
- Jessica TandyBritish actress (1909–1994)
- Jessica Ennis-HillBritish heptathlete, born 1986
- Jessica SzohrAmerican actress and model, born 1985
- Jessica CapshawAmerican actress (born 1976)
- Jessica MeirAmerican and Swedish astronaut (born 1977)
- Jessica MauboyAustralian singer, songwriter and actress, born 1989
More Hebrew girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Jessica mean?
- Jessica means “iscah in genesis 11:29”, “jescha in the wycliffe version”, “he will see/behold/look for” in Hebrew.
- What is the origin of the name Jessica?
- First used by William Shakespeare in Merchant of Venice in the early 17th century, probably from Hebrew יִסְכָּה (yiská, “Iscah in Genesis 11:29, Jescha in the Wycliffe version”), a proper name meaning "he will see/behold/look for", the 3ms imperfect form of a verb ultimately from the root ס־כ־ה…
- How popular is the name Jessica?
- In 2025, 360 girls born in England and Wales were named Jessica, ranking 139th. Its peak was 1996, with 6,711 births.
- What are nicknames for Jessica?
- Common nicknames for Jessica include Jessie.
- Is Jessica a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 1,054,307 US babies named Jessica since 1880 were girls.
- When was Jessica most popular?
- 1987 in the United States, when 55,992 babies were named Jessica, its highest rank at 1st.
- How do you pronounce Jessica?
- Jessica is /ˈd͡ʒɛsɪkə/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Jessica?
- Jessicah, Jessika, Jessikah, Jessicka, Jessickah and Jessiqa.