The name Jessica was first seen in Shakespeare’s play ‘The Merchant of Venice’. It was an anglicized version of the biblical name Iscah who wasn’t mentioned much other than being the sister of Lot and the niece of Abraham.
The meaning of the name Jessica is ‘vision’ or ‘sight’ in Hebrew but can also mean ‘God beholds’ or ‘to see before’.
- Jessica Name Origin: Shakespeare’s version of the biblical name Iscah.
- Jessica Name Meaning: Vision/sight/God beholds.
- Pronunciation: JESS-i-ka
- Gender: Jessica is traditionally a feminine name, but it is considered that Jesse is the masculine version.
How Popular is the Name Jessica?
Jessica is a very popular name although it reached its peak in popularity in 1985 when it hit the number one spot on the American baby names for girls list and stayed there until 1990. It reached this spot again in 1993 where it stayed for another two years so to say this name is popular is an understatement.
The name was also extremely popular from 1976 when it stayed in the top ten up until 2000 which once again shows how this name’s popularity only grew.
Jessica stayed in the top 100 until 2011 but this is when we begin to see its decrease in popularity with it currently sitting at number 399 on the list. Will we see a rise in its popularity in the next decade?
Variations of the Name Jessica
Maybe you’re a fan of the name Jessica and are looking for something similar but haven’t come across anything you’re 100% set on. Well, let’s take a look at some similar names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
| Gessica | Rich, God beholds | Italian |
| Jessika | He sees | German |
| Xhesika | God beholds | Albanian |
| Yiskah | To gaze | Hebrew |
| Dzsesszika | Foresight, being able to see the potential in the future | Hungarian |
Other Brilliant Biblical Girls Names
What about some other biblical girls’ names to go with Jessica?
| Name | Meaning |
| Ada | Adornment |
| Atara | Diadem |
| Bela | She of fair skin |
| Drusilla | Fresh as the dew |
| Eden | Paradise |
| Junia | Queen of heaven |
| Naomi | Pleasant one |
| Sapphira | The pretty one |
Alternative Girls Names Starting With J
What about some other girls’ names that start with a J?
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
| Josephine | Jehovah increases | Hebrew |
| Jade | Stone of the bowels | Spanish |
| Julia | Youthful | Roman mythology |
| Josie | God will add or increase | Hebrew |
| Jasmine | Referring to the plant | English |
| Juniper | Young, evergreen | Latin |
Famous People Named Jessica
As we said before, the name Jessica was extremely popular in the 80s and 90s so there’s no surprise that there are a few famous people out there that share the name. Let’s take a look at some of them!
- Jessica Abel – American comic book writer
- Jessica Alves – Brazilian-British television personality
- Jessica Anderson – Australian novelist and short story writer
- Jessica Antiles – American swimmer
- Jessica Jane Applegate – British paralympic swimmer