Jessica (originally Iessica, also Jesica, Jesika, Jessicah, Jessika, or Jessikah) is a female given name of English origin.
The oldest written record of the name with its current spelling is found as the name of the Shakespearean character Jessica, from the play The Merchant of Venice. The name may have been an anglicisation of the biblical Iscah (from ), the name of a daughter of Haran briefly mentioned in the Book of Genesis. Iscah was rendered as "Iesca" (Jeska) in the Matthew Bible version available in Shakespeare's day.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. (1990). A Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. . Alternately, Shakespeare might have derived the name from a feminine version of the name Jesse, or from jess, a thin leather strap used to tether a bird such as a falcon in falconry.
"Jessica" was the first- or second-most popular female baby name in the United States from 1981 to 1998Most Popular 1000 Names of the 1980s. Social Security Administration (SSA), United States. Retrieved February 22, 2007.Most Popular 1000 Names of the 1990s. Social Security Administration (SSA), United States. Retrieved February 22, 2007. before falling out of the Top 20 in 2004. It also rose to 1 in England and Wales in 2005,Baby Names, England and Wales, 2005. Office for National Statistics (ONS), United Kingdom. Released: 28 July 2011. dropping to No. 3 in 2006.Baby Names, England and Wales, 2006. Office for National Statistics (ONS), United Kingdom. Released: 28 July 2011. Common nicknames of the name Jessica include "Jess", "Jessi" and "Jessie".
Jessica in other languages
Albanian: Xhesika Arabic: جيسيكا (Jisika) Armenian: Յեսքա (Yeskʿa) (in Bible), Ջեսիկա (J̌esika) Bengali: জেসিকা (Jēsikā) Bulgarian: Джесика (Dzhesika) Chinese: 潔西卡(Jié xī kǎ) Czech: Jessica Danish: Jessica Dutch: Jessica Esperanto: Ĝesika Finnish: Jessica French: Jessica Georgian: ჯესიკა (Jesik’a) German: Jessica Greek: Τζέσικα (Tzésika) Gujarati: જેસિકા (Jēsikā) Hebrew: ג'סיקה Hindi: जेसिका (jesika) Hungarian: Dzsesszika Indonesian: Jessica Italian: Jessica, Gessica Japanese: ジェシカ (Jeshika) Kannada: ಜೆಸ್ಸಿಕಾ (Jessikā) Korean: 제시카 (Jesika) Malay: Jessica Marathi: जेसिका (jesika) Mongolian: жессика (Jyessika) Norwegian: Jessica Persian: جسیکا Polish: Jessica Portuguese: Jéssica, Géssica Punjabi: ਜੈਸਿਕਾ (Jaisikā) Romanian: Jessica Russian: Джессика (Dzhessika) Serbian: Џесика (Džesika) Slovene: Jessica Spanish: Jessica Swedish: Jessica Tamil: ஜெசிகா (Jecikā) Telugu: జెస్సికా (Jessikā) Thai: เจสซิกา (Ces̄s̄ik̂ā) Turkish: Jessica Ukrainian: Джессіка (Dzhessika) Urdu: جیسکا Vietnamese: Chúatể Welsh: Jessica
People with the given name
Jessica Abel (born 1969), American comic book writer and artist Jessica Aber (1981–2025), American attorney Jessica Adair (born 1986), American professional basketball player Jessica Adolfsson (born 1998), Swedish ice hockey player Jessica Aguilar (born 1982), Mexican-American mixed martial artist Jessica Ainscough (1985–2015), Australian teen magazine editor and wellness entrepreneur Jessica Alba (born 1981), American actress Jessica Alexander (born 1999), English actress and model Jessica Allister (born 1982), American softball coach and former catcher Jessica Alves (born 1983), Brazilian-British television personality Jessica Amornkuldilok (born 1985), Thai model Jessica Anderson (footballer) (born 1997), Australian rules footballer Jessica Anderson (writer) (1916–2010), Australian novelist and short story writer Jessica Andersson (born 1973), Swedish singer Jessica Andrews (born 1983), American country music singer Jessica Antiles (born 1996), American swimmer Jessica-Jane Applegate (born 1996), British Paralympic swimmer Jessica Ayala, American politician Jessica Backhaus (born 1970), German photographer Jessica Bäckman (born 1997), Swedish racing driver Jessica Baglow (born 1989), English actress Jessica Balogun (born 1988), German professional boxer Jessica Barden (born 1992), English actress Jessica Barry (born 1994), British boxer Jessica Barson, American neuroscientist and associate professor Jessica Barth, American actress Jessica Barter, New Zealand architect Jessica Beinecke (born 1980s), American educator, entertainer, videographer and online personality Jessica Bejarano, American conductor Jessica Bendinger (born 1966), American screenwriter and novelist Jessica Benham (born 1990), American politician and disability rights activist Jessica Benjamin (born 1946), American psychoanalyst Jessica Berscheid (born 1997), Luxembourgish footballer Jessica-Bianca Wessolly (born 1996), German sprinter Jessica Bibby (born 1979), Australian sportswoman Jessica Biel (born 1982), American actress and model Jessica Bird (born 1996), American novelist Jessica Blank, American actress, writer, and director Jessica Blaszka (born 1992), Dutch wrestler Jessica Boehrs (born 1980), German actress and singer Jessica Bonilla (born 1996), Mexican female road and track cyclist Jessica Boone (born 1984), American film, television, theatre, and voice actress Jessica Borthwick (1888–1946), British filmmaker and sculptor Jessica Brody, American author Jessica Brown Findlay (born 1989), English actress Jessica Buettner (born 1995), Canadian powerlifter Jessy Bulbo (born 1974), Mexican singer, bassist and composer Jessica Burciaga (born 1983), American model Jessica Caban (born 1982), American model, dancer and actress Jessica Caloza, Filipino American politician Jessica Cambensy (born 1988), American-born Hong Kong model and actress Jessica Capshaw (born 1976), American actress Jessica Care Moore (born 1971), American poet Jessica Caro (born 1988), Colombian footballer Jessika Carter (born 1999), American basketball player Jessica Castles (born 2002), English-Swedish artistic gymnast Jessica Chastain (born 1977), American actress Jessica Chávez (born 1988), Mexican professional boxer Jessica Ching (born 1987), Hong Kong racewalking athlete Jessica Cirio (born 1985), Argentine model Jessica Cisneros (born 1993), American attorney Jessica Clark (actress) (born 1985), British model and actress Jessica Clarke (model) (born 1993), New Zealand model Jessica Clarke (footballer) (born 1989), English footballer Jessica G. L. Clarke (born 1983), American lawyer Jessica Cleaves (1948–2014), American singer and songwriter Jessica-Jane Clement (born 1985), British glamour model, actress and TV presenter Jessica Coch (born 1979), Mexican actress Jessi Combs (1980–2019), American racer and TV presenter Jessica J. Connelly, professor of psychology Jessica Cornish, known as Jessie J (born 1988), British singer-songwriter Jessica Cottis (born 1979), Australian-British conductor Jessica Cox (born 1983), American pilot Jessica Cristina (born 1975), Puerto Rican merengue artist and pop singer Jessica Davenport (born 1985), American basketball player Jessica Degenhardt (born 2002), German luger Jessica De Gouw (born 1988), Australian actress Jessica Deglau (born 1980), Canadian swimmer Jessica DiCicco (born 1980), American actress Jessica DiGirolamo (born 1999), Canadian ice hockey player Jessica Dominguez, immigration lawyer based in California Jessica Drake (born 1974), American pornographic actress Jessica Dubé (born 1987), Canadian former competitive figure skater Jessica Dubroff (1988–1996), American pilot trainee Jessica Durlacher (born 1961), Dutch literary critic, columnist and novelist Jessica Eddie (born 1984), English rower Jessica Ellis (born 1987), British actress Jessica Ennis-Hill (born 1986), British athlete Jessica Enström (born 1977), Swedish handball player Jessica Sompong Espiner (born 1997), Thai actress Jessica Esquivel, Mexican and American physicist and science communicator Jessica Ewing, American innovator and entrepreneur Jessica Eye (born 1986), American mixed martial artist Jessica Falk (born 1973), Swedish singer-songwriter and musician Jessica Fay, American politician Jessica Feshbach (born 1975), American former Scientologist Jessica Fintzen, German mathematician Jessica M. Fishman, American author and behavioral scientist Jesica Fitriana (born 1995), Indonesian HIV/AIDS activist, furniture designer, model and beauty pageant titleholder Jessica Fodera (born 1975), American musician, singer and artist, known professionally as Jessicka Jessica Folcker (born 1975), Swedish singer Jessica Forrest (born 1990), British actress Jessica Fox (canoeist) (born 1994), French-Australian world and Olympic champion slalom canoer Jessica Fullalove (born 1996), British backstroke swimmer Jessica Gadirova (born 2004), English artistic gymnast Jessica Gagen (born 1996), English beauty pageant titleholder Jessica Gal (born 1971), Dutch judoka Jessica García (born 1980), Puerto Rican judoka Jessica Garlick (born 1981), Welsh singer Jessica Gaspar (born 1976), American professional basketball player Jessica Gaudreault (born 1994), Canadian water polo goalkeeper Jessica Glynne, better known as Jess Glynne (born 1989), English singer-songwriter Jessica Good (born 1994), Australian basketball player Jessica Gordon Brown (born 1995), English weightlifter Jessica Gomes (born 1985), Australian model Jessica Gonzalez (labor organizer) (born 1992 or 1993), American labor organizer Jessica González-Rojas (born 1976), American activist, politician, and academic Jessica Graf (born 1990), American reality television personality, actress, and model Jessica Gunning (born 1986), English actress Jessica Haines (born 1978), South African actress Jessica Hall (British actress) (born 1981), English actress Jessica Hammerl (born 1988), German ice hockey defender Jessica Hardy (born 1987), American competitive swimmer Jessica Harp (born 1982), American country singer-songwriter and guitarist Jessica Harrison-Hall (born 1965), British sinologist, curator and author Jessica Hawkins (born 1995), British racing driver and stunt driver Jessica Hayllar (1858–1940), British artist and painter Jessica Heeringa (1987–2013), American murder victim Jessica Helleberg (born 1986), Swedish handball player Jessica Hemmings, British academic and writer Jessica Henwick (born 1992), English actress and writer Jessica Hewitt (born 1986), Canadian short track speed skater Jessica Hilzinger (born 1997), German alpine ski racer Jessica Hogg (born 1995), Welsh artistic gymnast Jessica Ho (rugby union) (born 1992), Hong Kong rugby union player Jessica Ho, known as Jessi (born 1988), American rapper, singer, and entertainer Jessica Ho, known as Sica (born 2000), Hong Kong singer, musician, stage actress and cosplayer Jessica Holmes (disambiguation), several people Jessica Hsuan (born 1970), Hong Kong actress Jessica Huntley (1927–2013), Guyanese-British activist and publisher Jessica Hynes (born 1972), British actress, writer and comedian Jessica Iskandar (born 1988), Indonesian actress and model Jessica Iwanson (born 1948), Swedish choreographer and artistic director Jessica Jaccoud (born 1983), Swiss politician Jessica Jackley (born 1977), American businesswoman and entrepreneur Jessica Jaymes (1979–2019), American pornographic actress Jessica Jerome (born 1987), American ski jumper Jessica Jislová (born 1994), Czech biathlete Jessica Jonassen (born 1992), Australian cricketer Jessica Leigh Jones (born 1994), Welsh engineer and astrophysicist Jessica Jordan (born 1984), Bolivian-British politician, model and beauty pageant titleholder Jessica Joseph (born 1982), American ice dancer Jessica Judd (born 1995), English middle- and long-distance runner Jessica Jung (born 1989), American-Korean pop singer
Jessica Karlsson (born 1992), Swedish professional golfer Jessica Kellgren-Fozard (born 1989), English YouTuber Jessica Kingdon, Chinese American director and producer Jessica Kizaki (Japanese: 希崎ジェシカ) (born 1989), Japanese former AV actress