Find out how popular the first name Jessica has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Jessica by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Jessica is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 100% of people named Jessica being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 545 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Jessica.

The history of the first name Jessica

The name Jessica has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture. It is a variant of the ancient Hebrew name Yehoshua or Yeshua, which translates to "Yahweh is salvation" or "Yahweh is deliverance." The name Yeshua was borne by the central figure of Christianity, Jesus Christ.

The journey of the name Jessica began when the Hebrew name Yeshua was transliterated into Greek as "Iesous." This Greek form was then adopted into Latin as "Iesus." Over time, the name evolved into various forms in different European languages, such as the Spanish "Jesús," the Italian "Gesù," and the English "Jesus."

One of the early recorded instances of the name Jessica can be found in the 16th century Italian Renaissance literature, specifically in the works of Giovanni Boccaccio and Ariosto. It was used as a variant of the Italian name "Gessica," which was derived from the Latin "Iesus."

In the 16th century, the English playwright William Shakespeare popularized the name Jessica in his famous play "The Merchant of Venice." The character Jessica, the daughter of the Jewish moneylender Shylock, is considered one of the earliest and most notable uses of the name in English literature.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Jessica:

1. Jessica Dubroff (1988-1996), an American student pilot who tragically died in a plane crash at the age of 7 while attempting to become the youngest person to fly across the United States.

2. Jessica Tandy (1909-1994), an English-American actress renowned for her performances in films like "Driving Miss Daisy," for which she won an Academy Award.

3. Jessica Ennis-Hill (born 1986), a British track and field athlete who specialized in heptathlon and won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

4. Jessica Chastain (born 1977), an American actress known for her roles in films like "Zero Dark Thirty," "The Help," and "Interstellar."

5. Jessica Savitch (1947-1983), an American television news presenter and journalist who was one of the first women to anchor a major US network evening newscast.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Jessica was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Jessica, please contact us.

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