Fun Facts About the Name Jessica
- An established favorite: Jessica held a place in the U.S. top 100 for 41 consecutive years, from 1970 through 2010.
- More than 1 million babies named Jessica: U.S. records list 1,054,308 babies given the name Jessica from 1880 through 2025. Even 3,578 boys received the name Jessica - about 1 boy for every 294 girls.
What Does the Name Jessica Mean?
Jessica is an English name derived from the Hebrew name Yiskah (יִסְכָּה), which appears in English Bibles as Iscah. The name is usually connected with a Hebrew root meaning "to look" or "to behold," and it is therefore commonly glossed as "foresight" or "she who sees." That gloss is a customary interpretation rather than a settled translation. The exact derivation of the biblical name is uncertain, and other roots have been proposed, including one meaning "to anoint."
Jessica Name History & Origins
The earliest known form of the name is the Hebrew Yiskah, borne by a daughter of Haran and a niece of Abraham in Genesis 11:29. She is named only in that single verse, and later Jewish interpretation, preserved in the midrash, identified her with Sarah and read her name as pointing to prophetic sight or foresight. Through the Latin and English Bible tradition, this Hebrew name entered English as Iscah.
The English form Jessica is associated with Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, written in the late 1590s, in which Jessica is the daughter of Shylock. The name is generally thought to be Shakespeare's rendering of the biblical Iscah, but how he arrived at that exact spelling is not documented. After the play, the name became established in English and spread gradually; it was uncommon for a long period and then grew steadily in use during the 20th century, first in English-speaking countries and later in others. Short forms such as Jess and Jessie, and spellings such as Jessika, developed alongside it.
How Popular is the Name Jessica?
Jessica remained among the top 100 girl names in the U.S. from 1970 to 2010. Its highest annual birth count was in 1987, and people born that year turn 39 in 2026.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #665 | 424 | 0.0264% |
| 2024 | #574 | 526 | 0.0326% |
| 2023 | #550 | 550 | 0.0343% |
| 2022 | #508 | 620 | 0.0378% |
| 2021 | #477 | 656 | 0.0400% |
| 2020 | #399 | 779 | 0.0482% |
| 2019 | #331 | 969 | 0.0578% |
| 2018 | #312 | 1,066 | 0.0627% |
| 2017 | #246 | 1,291 | 0.0748% |
| 2016 | #231 | 1,392 | 0.0786% |
| 2015 | #206 | 1,591 | 0.0891% |
| 2014 | #179 | 1,802 | 0.1009% |
| 2013 | #164 | 1,951 | 0.1112% |
| 2012 | #137 | 2,335 | 0.1326% |
| 2011 | #118 | 2,625 | 0.1492% |
| 2010 | #92 | 3,200 | 0.1800% |
| 2009 | #78 | 3,801 | 0.2069% |
| 2008 | #59 | 4,739 | 0.2506% |
| 2007 | #42 | 5,714 | 0.2972% |
| 2006 | #32 | 6,815 | 0.3585% |
| 2005 | #27 | 8,115 | 0.4392% |
| 2004 | #21 | 9,470 | 0.5158% |
| 2003 | #18 | 10,454 | 0.5722% |
| 2002 | #16 | 11,921 | 0.6634% |
| 2001 | #11 | 13,925 | 0.7734% |
| 2000 | #8 | 15,711 | 0.8652% |
| 1999 | #9 | 16,350 | 0.9218% |
| 1998 | #8 | 18,238 | 1.0322% |
| 1997 | #2 | 21,045 | 1.2090% |
| 1996 | #2 | 24,200 | 1.3805% |
| 1995 | #1 | 27,939 | 1.5888% |
| 1994 | #1 | 32,122 | 1.7988% |
| 1993 | #1 | 34,993 | 1.9344% |
| 1992 | #2 | 38,361 | 2.0804% |
| 1991 | #2 | 43,395 | 2.3144% |
| 1990 | #1 | 46,486 | 2.4485% |
| 1989 | #1 | 47,887 | 2.5975% |
| 1988 | #1 | 51,557 | 2.8951% |
| 1987 | #1 | 55,996 | 3.2207% |
| 1986 | #1 | 52,684 | 3.0710% |
| 1985 | #1 | 48,348 | 2.8096% |
| 1984 | #2 | 45,858 | 2.7234% |
| 1983 | #2 | 45,284 | 2.7106% |
| 1982 | #2 | 45,449 | 2.6840% |
| 1981 | #2 | 42,532 | 2.5498% |
| 1980 | #3 | 33,923 | 2.0431% |
| 1979 | #4 | 27,782 | 1.7306% |
| 1978 | #3 | 26,103 | 1.7040% |
| 1977 | #4 | 24,845 | 1.6205% |
| 1976 | #8 | 18,369 | 1.2537% |
| 1975 | #13 | 12,928 | 0.8867% |
| 1974 | #17 | 10,655 | 0.7260% |
| 1973 | #34 | 7,228 | 0.4957% |
| 1972 | #46 | 6,206 | 0.4080% |
| 1971 | #64 | 5,360 | 0.3221% |
| 1970 | #98 | 4,022 | 0.2301% |
| 1969 | #134 | 2,492 | 0.1477% |
| 1968 | #177 | 1,840 | 0.1122% |
| 1967 | #183 | 1,760 | 0.1066% |
| 1966 | #195 | 1,668 | 0.0986% |
| 1965 | #216 | 1,532 | 0.0868% |
| 1964 | #262 | 1,171 | 0.0618% |
| 1963 | #266 | 1,120 | 0.0581% |
| 1962 | #319 | 864 | 0.0439% |
| 1961 | #372 | 668 | 0.0331% |
| 1960 | #408 | 556 | 0.0275% |
| 1959 | #414 | 522 | 0.0258% |
| 1958 | #403 | 529 | 0.0263% |
| 1957 | #432 | 476 | 0.0233% |
| 1956 | #454 | 406 | 0.0202% |
| 1955 | #459 | 387 | 0.0198% |
| 1954 | #423 | 424 | 0.0218% |
| 1953 | #382 | 495 | 0.0263% |
| 1952 | #387 | 453 | 0.0244% |
| 1951 | #380 | 466 | 0.0259% |
| 1950 | #400 | 402 | 0.0235% |
| 1949 | #395 | 406 | 0.0237% |
| 1948 | #354 | 482 | 0.0284% |
| 1947 | #385 | 430 | 0.0243% |
| 1946 | #507 | 240 | 0.0153% |
| 1945 | #634 | 132 | 0.0101% |
| 1944 | #666 | 124 | 0.0093% |
| 1943 | #691 | 121 | 0.0087% |
| 1942 | #664 | 127 | 0.0094% |
| 1941 | #805 | 81 | 0.0067% |
| 1940 | #918 | 61 | 0.0053% |
| 1939 | #778 | 77 | 0.0070% |
| 1938 | #1,013 | 50 | 0.0045% |
| 1937 | #815 | 71 | 0.0067% |
| 1936 | #1,072 | 43 | 0.0041% |
| 1935 | #1,008 | 47 | 0.0045% |
| 1934 | #1,024 | 46 | 0.0044% |
| 1933 | #1,066 | 43 | 0.0043% |
| 1932 | #1,074 | 44 | 0.0041% |
| 1931 | #1,134 | 40 | 0.0038% |
| 1930 | #1,222 | 38 | 0.0034% |
| 1929 | #1,144 | 42 | 0.0038% |
| 1928 | #1,277 | 36 | 0.0031% |
| 1927 | #1,268 | 39 | 0.0033% |
| 1926 | #1,341 | 35 | 0.0030% |
| 1925 | #1,390 | 34 | 0.0028% |
| 1924 | #1,253 | 41 | 0.0033% |
| 1923 | #1,062 | 52 | 0.0043% |
| 1922 | #1,240 | 40 | 0.0033% |
| 1921 | #1,104 | 48 | 0.0039% |
| 1920 | #1,161 | 43 | 0.0036% |
| 1919 | #1,184 | 40 | 0.0035% |
| 1918 | #963 | 56 | 0.0048% |
| 1917 | #938 | 55 | 0.0051% |
| 1916 | #944 | 53 | 0.0051% |
| 1915 | #887 | 55 | 0.0056% |
| 1914 | #910 | 42 | 0.0055% |
| 1913 | #1,105 | 25 | 0.0040% |
| 1912 | #840 | 36 | 0.0065% |
| 1911 | #971 | 21 | 0.0050% |
| 1910 | #821 | 28 | 0.0071% |
| 1909 | #980 | 18 | 0.0052% |
| 1908 | #983 | 17 | 0.0051% |
| 1907 | #932 | 17 | 0.0053% |
| 1906 | #886 | 18 | 0.0061% |
| 1905 | #911 | 17 | 0.0058% |
| 1904 | #921 | 16 | 0.0058% |
| 1903 | #880 | 16 | 0.0061% |
| 1902 | #1,264 | 9 | 0.0034% |
| 1901 | #1,273 | 8 | 0.0033% |
| 1900 | #770 | 23 | 0.0077% |
| 1899 | #894 | 14 | 0.0060% |
| 1898 | #987 | 13 | 0.0050% |
| 1897 | #1,120 | 9 | 0.0038% |
| 1896 | #1,168 | 9 | 0.0038% |
| 1895 | #733 | 19 | 0.0081% |
| 1894 | #1,029 | 10 | 0.0045% |
| 1893 | #777 | 15 | 0.0070% |
| 1892 | #813 | 14 | 0.0066% |
| 1891 | #735 | 14 | 0.0075% |
| 1890 | #627 | 18 | 0.0095% |
| 1889 | #926 | 9 | 0.0050% |
| 1888 | #601 | 18 | 0.0101% |
| 1887 | #898 | 8 | 0.0055% |
| 1886 | #712 | 11 | 0.0076% |
| 1885 | #981 | 6 | 0.0045% |
| 1884 | #572 | 14 | 0.0109% |
| 1883 | #866 | 6 | 0.0053% |
| 1882 | #710 | 8 | 0.0074% |
| 1881 | #715 | 7 | 0.0076% |
| 1880 | #705 | 7 | 0.0077% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | #13,123 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #8,382 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2010 | #11,397 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #7,972 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2008 | #11,746 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #6,426 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 2006 | #7,691 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2005 | #4,548 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2004 | #2,921 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 2003 | #4,700 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2002 | #3,854 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2001 | #3,270 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2000 | #3,181 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 1999 | #2,977 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 1998 | #2,744 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1997 | #2,009 | 45 | 0.0024% |
| 1996 | #1,920 | 47 | 0.0025% |
| 1995 | #1,744 | 51 | 0.0027% |
| 1994 | #1,099 | 105 | 0.0054% |
| 1993 | #1,131 | 100 | 0.0051% |
| 1992 | #1,085 | 103 | 0.0052% |
| 1991 | #977 | 120 | 0.0059% |
| 1990 | #867 | 140 | 0.0068% |
| 1989 | #626 | 252 | 0.0126% |
| 1988 | #636 | 225 | 0.0118% |
| 1987 | #582 | 243 | 0.0130% |
| 1986 | #605 | 217 | 0.0118% |
| 1985 | #578 | 230 | 0.0124% |
| 1984 | #641 | 180 | 0.0100% |
| 1983 | #616 | 194 | 0.0108% |
| 1982 | #634 | 188 | 0.0104% |
| 1981 | #674 | 165 | 0.0092% |
| 1980 | #780 | 126 | 0.0071% |
| 1979 | #819 | 114 | 0.0066% |
| 1978 | #884 | 95 | 0.0058% |
| 1977 | #890 | 92 | 0.0056% |
| 1976 | #1,149 | 56 | 0.0036% |
| 1975 | #1,187 | 51 | 0.0033% |
| 1974 | #1,322 | 42 | 0.0027% |
| 1973 | #2,081 | 20 | 0.0013% |
| 1972 | #1,846 | 24 | 0.0015% |
| 1971 | #2,167 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1970 | #2,443 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1969 | #2,481 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1967 | #2,409 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1966 | #2,708 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1965 | #3,107 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1964 | #3,442 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1963 | #4,329 | 5 | 0.0002% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
