Jessica

ClassicTimelessFriendlyLiteraryFamiliar

Jessica is a name of Hebrew origin, first appearing in Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" as a variation of the biblical name Iscah, meaning "foresight" or "God beholds." The name gained widespread popularity in the English-speaking world following its literary introduction.

Current Popularity

#665 for girls

in the United States (2025)

Projected 2026: #721, likely #644 to #798

↗Declining

Popularity over time

188019502020
Recent years · births per year

Dashed bar: 2026 (projected): 384. How this is calculated

Yearly values
  • 2011: 2,626
  • 2012: 2,335
  • 2013: 1,951
  • 2014: 1,804
  • 2015: 1,592
  • 2016: 1,392
  • 2017: 1,292
  • 2018: 1,065
  • 2019: 970
  • 2020: 780
  • 2021: 656
  • 2022: 620
  • 2023: 550
  • 2024: 527
  • 2025: 424
  • 2026 (projected): 384

Good to Know

Common nicknames: Jess, Jessie, Jessi, Jessa
  • •Easy to spell and pronounce across most cultures
  • •Well-established name with literary heritage
  • •Widely recognized internationally
  • •Natural nickname options make it versatile for all ages
  • •Multiple spelling variations exist

Famous People

J

Jessica Alba

Actress and entrepreneur

J

Jessica Chastain

Academy Award-winning actress

J

Jessica Lange

Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress

J

Jessica Ennis-Hill

Olympic gold medalist heptathlete

Statistics

1,050,729

Total births since 1880

1987

Peak year

Discovery

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