For other uses, see Jessica (disambiguation).
Jessica (originally Iessica, also Jesica, Jesika, Jessicah, Jessika, or Jessikah)[1] is a femalegiven name of Hebrew 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 Hebrew: יִסְכָּה, romanized:&#;yiskā́), the name of a daughter of Haran briefly mentioned in the Book of Genesis (). Iscah was rendered "Iesca" (Jeska) in the Matthew Bible version available in Shakespeare's day.[2][3][4] Alternately, Shakespeare might have derived the name as a feminine version of the name Jesse, or from the word jess, a thin leather strap used to tether a bird such as a falcon in falconry.[5]
"Jessica" was the first- or second-most popular female baby name in the United States from to [6][7] before falling out of the Top 20 in [8] It also rose to No.&#;1 in England and Wales in ,[9] dropping to No.&#;3 in [10] Common nicknames of the name Jessica include "Jess", "Jessi" and "Jessie".
Jessica in other languages
People with the given name
- Jessica Abel (born ), American comic book writer and artist
- Jessica Adair (born ), American professional basketball player
- Jessica Adolfsson (born ), Swedish ice hockey player
- Jessica Aguilar (born ), Mexican-American mixed martial artist
- Jessica Ainscough (–), Australian teen magazine editor who became a writer and wellness entrepreneur
- Jessica Alba (born ), American actress
- Jessica Alexander (born ), English actress and model
- Jessica Allister (born ), American softball coach and former catcher
- Jessica Alves (born ), Brazilian-British television personality
- Jessica Amornkuldilok (born ), Thai model
- Jessica Anderson (footballer) (born ), Australian rules footballer
- Jessica Anderson (writer) (–), Australian novelist and short story writer
- Jessica Andersson (born ), Swedish singer
- Jessica Andrews (born ), American country music singer
- Jessica Antiles (born ), American swimmer
- Jessica-Jane Applegate (born ), British Paralympic swimmer
- Jessica Backhaus (born ), German photographer
- Jessica Bäckman (born ), Swedish racing driver
- Jessica Baglow (born ), English actress
- Jessica Balogun (born ), German professional boxer
- Jessica Barden (born ), English actress
- Jessica Barry (born ), British boxer
- Jessica Barson, American neuroscientist and associate professor
- Jessica Barth, American actress
- Jessica Barter, New Zealand architect
- Jessica Beinecke, American educator, entertainer, videographer and online personality in China
- Jessica Bejarano, American conductor
- Jessica Bendinger (born ), American screenwriter and novelist
- Jessica Benham, American politician and disability rights activist
- Jessica Benjamin, psychoanalyst
- Jessica Berscheid (born ), Luxembourgish footballer
- Jessica-Bianca Wessolly (born ), German sprinter
- Jessica Bibby (born ), Australian sportswoman
- Jessica Biel (born ), American actress and model
- Jessica Bird (born ), American novelist
- Jessica Blank, American actress, writer, and director
- Jessica Blaszka (born ), Dutch wrestler
- Jessica Boehrs (born ), German actress and singer
- Jessica Bonilla (born ), Mexican female road and track cyclist
- Jessica Boone (born ), American film, television, theatre, and voice actress
- Jessica Borthwick (–), British filmmaker and sculptor
- Jessica Brody, American author
- Jessica Brown Findlay (born ), English actress
- Jessica Buettner (born ), Canadian powerlifter
- Jessy Bulbo (born ), Mexican singer, bassist and composer
- Jessica Burciaga (born ), American model
- Jessica Caban (born ), American model, dancer and actress
- Jessica Cambensy (born ), American-born Hong Kong model and actress
- Jessica Canseco (born ), former wife of Jose Canseco and author of a biography of her life with Canseco
- Jessica Capshaw (born ), American actress
- Jessica Care Moore (born ), American poet
- Jessica Caro (born ), Colombian footballer
- Jessica Castles (born ), English-Swedish artistic gymnast
- Jessica Chastain (born ), American actress
- Jessica Chávez (born ), Mexican professional boxer
- Jessica Ching (born ), Hong Kong&#;racewalking&#;athlete
- Jessica Cirio (born ), Argentine model
- Jessica Cisneros (born ), American attorney
- Jessica Clark (actress) (born ), British model and actress
- Jessica Clarke (model) (born ), New Zealand model
- Jessica Clarke (footballer) (born ), English footballer
- Jessica G. L. Clarke (born ), American lawyer
- Jessica Cleaves (–), American singer and songwriter
- Jessica-Jane Clement (born ), British glamour model, actress and TV presenter
- Jessica Coch (born ), Mexican actress
- Jessi Combs (–), American racer and TV presenter
- Jessica Cornish, known as Jessie J (born ), British singer-songwriter
- Jessica Cottis (born ), Australian-British conductor
- Jessica Cox (born ), American pilot
- Jessica Cristina (born ), merengue artist and pop singer
- Jessica Cutler (cyclist) (born ), American professional racing cyclist
- Jessica Davenport (born ), American basketball player
- Jessica Degenhardt (born ), German luger
- Jessica De Gouw (born ), Australian actress
- Jessica Deglau (born ), Canadian swimmer
- Jessica DiCicco (born ), American actress
- Jessica Dominguez, immigration lawyer based in California
- Jessica Drake (born ), American pornographic actress
- Jessica Dubroff (–), American pilot trainee
- Jessica Durlacher (born ), Dutch literary critic, columnist and novelist
- Jessica Eddie (born ), English rower
- Jessica Ennis-Hill (born ), British athlete
- Jessica Enström (born ), Swedish handball player
- Jessica Sompong Espiner (born ), Thai actress
- Jessica Esquivel, Mexican and American physicist and science communicator
- Jessica Ewing, American innovator and entrepreneur
- Jessica Eye (born ), American mixed martial artist
- Jessica Falk (born ), Swedish singer-songwriter and musician
- Jessica Fay, American politician
- Jessica Fintzen, German mathematician
- Jessica M. Fishman, American author and behavioral scientist
- Jesica Fitriana (born ), Indonesian HIV/AIDS activist, furniture designer, model and beauty pageant titleholder
- Jessica Fodera (born ), American musician, singer and artist, known professionally as Jessicka
- Jessica Folcker (born ), Swedish singer
- Jessica Fox (canoeist) (born ), French-Australian world and Olympic champion slalom canoer
- Jessica Fullalove (born ), British backstroke swimmer
- Jessica Gadirova (born ), English artistic gymnast
- Jessica Gagen, English beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss England
- Jessica Gal (born ), Dutch judoka
- Jessica García (born ), Puerto Rican judoka
- Jessica Garlick (born ), Welsh singer
- Jessica Gaspar (born ), American professional basketball player
- Jessica Gaudreault (born ), Canadian water polo goalkeeper
- Jessica Glynne, better known as Jess Glynne (born ), English singer-songwriter
- Jessica Gordon Brown (born ), English weightlifter
- Jessica Gomes (born ), Australian model
- Jessica Gonzalez (labor organizer) (born or ), American labor organizer
- Jessica González-Rojas (born ), American activist, politician, and academic
- Jessica Graf (born ), American reality television personality, actress, and model
- Jessica Gunning (born ), English actress
- Jessica Haines (born ), South African actress
- Jessica Hall (British actress) (born ), English actress
- Jessica Hammerl (born ), German ice hockey defender
- Jessica Hardy (born ), American competitive swimmer
- Jessica Harp (born ), American country singer-songwriter and guitarist
- Jessica Harrison-Hall (born ), British sinologist, curator and author
- Jessica Hawkins (born ), British racing driver and stunt driver
- Jessica Hayllar (–), British artist and painter
- Jessica Heeringa (–?), American murder victim
- Jessica Helleberg (born ), Swedish handball player
- Jessica Hemmings, British academic and writer
- Jessica Henwick (born ), English actress and writer
- Jessica Hilzinger (born ), German alpine ski racer
- Jessica Hogg (born ), Welsh artistic gymnast
- Jessica Ho (rugby union) (born ), Hong Kong rugby union player
- Jessica Ho, known as Jessi (born ), American rapper, singer, and entertainer
- Jessica Ho, known as Sica (born ), Hong Kong singer, musician, stage actress and cosplayer
- Jessica Holmes (disambiguation), several people
- Jessica Hsuan (born ), Hong Kong actress
- Jessica Huntley (–), Guyanese-British activist and publisher
- Jessica Hynes (born ), British actress, writer and comedian
- Jessica Iskandar (born ), Indonesian actress and model
- Jessica Iwanson (born ), Swedish choreographer and artistic director
- Jessica Jackley (born ), American businesswoman and entrepreneur
- Jessica Jaymes (–), American pornographic actress
- Jessica Jerome (born ), American ski jumper
- Jessica Jislová (born ), Czech biathlete
- Jessica Jonassen (born ), Australian cricketer
- Jessica Jordan (born ), Bolivian-British politician, model and beauty pageant titleholder
- Jessica Joseph (born ), American ice dancer
- Jessica Judd (born ), English middle- and long-distance runner
- Jessica Jung (born ), American-Korean pop singer
- Jessica Karlsson (born ), Swedish professional golfer
- Jessica Kellgren-Fozard (born ), English YouTuber
- Jessica Kingdon, Chinese American director and producer
- Jessica Kizaki (Japanese: 希崎ジェシカ) (born ), Japanese former AV actress
- Jessica Klimkait (born ) is a Canadian Judoka
- Jessica Knappett (born ), English comedy writer and actress
- Jessica Korda (born ), Czech-American professional golfer
- Jessica Reed Kraus, American writer
- Jessica Krug (born c. ), American historian, author, and activist
- Jessica Kürten (born ), Irish equestrian
- Jessica Lange (born ), American actress
- Jessica Landström (born ), Swedish footballer
- Jessica Lapenn, American career member of the Senior Foreign Service
- Jessica Largey, American chef
- Jessica Larsson, Swedish two-time world champion bridge player
- Jessica Lee (disambiguation), several people
- Jessica Lee Rose (born ), American-New Zealand actress
- Jessica Liedberg (born ), Swedish actress
- Jessica Lindell-Vikarby (born ), Swedish World Cup alpine ski racer
- Jessica Linley (born ), English beauty pageant titleholder
- Jessica Mei Li (born ), English actress
- Jessica Lindstrom (born ), American professional basketball player
- Jesseca Liu (born ), Malaysian actress
- Jessica Long (born ), Russian-American Paralympic swimmer
- Jessica López (born ), Venezuelan artistic gymnast
- Jessica Lowndes (born ), Canadian actress and singer-songwriter
- Jessica Lu (born ), American actress
- Jessica Lucas (born ), Canadian actress and singer
- Jessica Lynch (born ), American soldier, teacher and actress
- Jessica Lynch (Miss New York) (born ), American pageant contestant, Miss New York
- Jessica Lynn (born ), American country music singer and songwriter
- Jessica Macaulay (born ), British and Canadian high diver
- Jessica Mager (born ), German sports shooter
- Jessica Mah (born ), American entrepreneur
- Jessica Makinson (born ), American actress
- Jessica Malone (born ), Australian judoka
- Jessica Marais (born ), South African-born Australian actress
- Jessica Marasigan (born ), Filipino-American model, host, singer, actress, and beauty queen
- Jessica Martin (born ), British actress and comedian
- Jessica Mauboy (born ), Australian singer
- Jessica Mbangeni (born ), South African praise poet and singer
- Jessica McCabe, American actress, writer, and YouTube personality
- Jessica McClure (born ), known as "Baby Jessica" when rescued from a well as a toddler
- Jessica Medina, American singer-songwriter
- Jessica Meir (born ), American astronaut, biologist, and underwater diver
- Jessica Mendoza (born ), American softball player and sportscaster
- Jessica Michibata, Japanese fashion model
- Jessica Mitford (–), Anglo-American writer
- Jessica Mila (born ), Indonesian actress and model
- Jessica Moore (basketball) (born ), American basketball player
- Jessica Moore (journalist) (born ), American journalist
- Jessica Moore (tennis) (born ), Australian tennis player
- Jessica Morse (born ), American government official and politician
- Jessica Motaung (born ), South African television personality, sports executive and former beauty pageant winner
- Jessica Murrey, American game developer and peacemaker
- Jessika Nash (born ), Australian footballer
- Jessica Nettelbladt (born ), Swedish director and documentary filmmaker
- Jessica Nigri (born ), American cosplay enthusiast, promotional model, voice actress and Internet personality
- Jessica Nkosi (born ), South African actress
- Jessica Garza Montes de Oca (born ), Mexican actress, singer-songwriter and writer
- Jessica Olérs (born ), Swedish beauty pageant contestant, Miss Sweden
- Jessica Opare-Saforo (born ), Ghanaian media personality, TV and radio broadcaster and entrepreneur
- Jessica Origliasso (born ), Australian musician
- Jessica Oyelowo (born ), British actress and singer
- Jessica Paré (born ), Canadian actress
- Jessica Park (born ), English professional footballer
- Jessica Parra (born ), Colombian professional racing cyclist
- Jessica Pasaphan (born ), Thai actress
- Jessica Pegula (born ), American tennis player
- Jessica Pengelly (born ), South African-born Australian swimmer
- Jessica Pickering (born ), Australian trampoline gymnast
- Jessica Nery Plata (born ), Mexican professional boxer
- Jessica Plummer (born ), English actress and singer
- Jessica Polfjärd (born ), Swedish politician
- Jessica Pugh (born ), English badminton player
- Jéssica Quintino (born ), Brazilian handball player
- Jessica Raine (born ), English actress
- Jessica Ransom (born ), British actress and writer
- Jessica Rawson (born ), English art historian, curator and sinologist
- Jessica Regan (born ), Irish actress
- Jessica Kelly Siobhan Reilly, known as Kelly Reilly (born ), English actress
- Jessica Rich (snowboarder) (born ), Australian snowboarder
- Jessica Ridgeway (–), American murder victim
- Jessica Rivera (born ), American soprano
- Jessica Roberts (born ), British cyclist
- Jessica Rodén (born ), Swedish politician
- Jessica Rodríguez (born ), Panamanian model and pageant titleholder
- Jessica Roland-Pratt (born ), Puerto Rican tennis player
- Jessica Rosencrantz (born ), Swedish politician
- Jessica Rosenthal (born ), German politician
- Jessica Rossi (born ), Italian sport shooter
- Jessica Rothe (born ), American actress
- Jessica Roux (born ), South African distance swimmer
- Jessica Ryde (born ), Swedish handball player
- Jessica Seobyn Ryu, South Korean beauty queen; Miss Korea
- Jessica Salazar (born ), Mexican track cyclist
- Jessica Samuelsson (heptathlete) (born ), Swedish heptathlete
- Jessica Sanchez (born ), American recording artist
- Jessica Savitch (–), American TV news reporter
- Jessica Scheel (born ), Guatemalan model and beauty pageant titleholder
- Jessica Schilder (born ), Dutch athlete
- Jessicah Schipper (born ), Australian former competition swimmer
- Jessica Schmidt (born ), German chess Women Grandmaster
- Jessica Schultz (born ), American curler
- Jessica Schwarz (born ), German film and TV actress
- Jessica Simpson (born ), American pop singer and actress
- Jessica Shaina&#;[id] (born ), Indonesian actress and model
- Jessica Sklar, American mathematician
- Jessica Smith (editor) (–), American editor and activist
- Jessica Snow (born ), American abstract artist, filmmaker, curator, and professor
- Jessica Soho (born ), Filipina broadcast journalist
- Jessica Spring, American letterpress printer, book artist
- Jessica Springsteen (born ), American equestrian
- Jessica Stam (born ), Canadian model
- Jessica Stasinowsky (born ), Australian convicted murderer
- Jessica Steck (born ), South African tennis player
- Jessica Steen, Canadian actress
- Jessica Steffens (born ), American water polo player
- Jessica Stegrud (born ), Swedish politician
- Jessica Steiger (born ), German swimmer
- Jessica Steinhauser, known as Asia Carrera (born ), American pornographic actress
- Jessica Stevens (born ), American trampoline gymnast
- Jessica Stockholder (born ), Canadian-American artist
- Jessica Stretton (born ), British archer
- Jessica Stroup (born ), American actress and model
- Jessica Sula (born ), Welsh actress
- Jessica Sutta (born ), American dancer and singer
- Jessica Sutton (born ), South African actress
- Jessica Swale (born ), British playwright, theatre director and screenwriter
- Jessica Szohr (born ), American actress
- Jessica Tan (born ), Singaporean politician
- Jessica Tan (badminton) (born ), Singaporean badminton player
- Jessica Tandy (–), English-American actress
- Jessica Tanoesoedibjo&#;[id] (born ), Indonesian entrepreneur
- Jessica Tatti (born ), German politician
- Jessica Taylor (disambiguation), several people
- Jessica Tejada (born ), Peruvian volleyball player
- Jessica Thunander (born ), Swedish politician
- Jessica Torny (born ), Dutch footballer
- Jessica Townsend (born ), Australian author
- Jessica Triebeľová (born ), Slovak boxer
- Jessica Salazar Trejo (born ), Mexican politician
- Jessica Trisko-Darden (born ), Canadian academic, activist, model, and beauty queen
- Jessica Tsoi, Hong Kong singer
- Jessica Turnbull (born ), Australian female squash player
- Jessica Upshaw (–), American politician and lawyer
- Jessica Utts (born ), American statistician
- Jessica van der Spil (born ), Dutch judoka
- Jessica Van Der Steen (born ), Belgian fashion model
- Jessica van Eijs (born ), Dutch politician
- Jessica Vania (born ), Indonesian singer and musician
- Jessica Varnish (born ), British track cyclist
- Jessica Velasquez (born or ), American politician
- Jessica Veranda (born ), Indonesian singer and actress
- Jessica Vetter (born ), American ice hockey player
- Jessica Villarubin (born ), Filipino singer and performer
- Jessica von Bredow-Werndl (born ), German dressage rider
- Jessica Voorsanger (born ), American artist
- Jessica Wade (born ), British physicist
- Jessica Wahls (born ), German pop singer
- Jessica Walsh (born ), American designer, art director, illustrator and educator
- Jessica Walter (–), American actress
- Jessica Watkins (born ), American astronaut, geologist, aquanaut and rugby player
- Jessica Watson (born ), Australian sailor
- Jessica Weintraub (born ), Australian rhythmic gymnast
- Jessica Weller (born ), German politician
- Jessica Wetterling (born ), Swedish politician
- Jessica White (born ), American model
- Jessica Wich (born ), German footballer
- Jessica Wik (born ), Swedish professional footballer
- Jessica Williams (actress), American actress and comedian
- Jessica Williams (musician) (–), American pianist and composer
- Jessica Wong (born ), Canadian ice hockey player
- Jessica Wright (disambiguation), several people
- Jessica Keenan Wynn (born ), American actress
- Jessica Xue (born ), Chinese radio host, model and beauty pageant titleholder
- Jessica Yang (born ), professional tennis player from Hong Kong
- Jessica Yaniv, Canadian transgender activist
- Jessica Yellin (born ), American journalist
- Jessica M. Young (–), American astronomer
- Jessica Yu (born ), American film director
- Jessica Zafra (born ), Filipina writer
- Jessica Zahedi (born ), German television presenter and journalist
- Jessica Zajicek, American actress
- Jessica Zandén (born ), Swedish actress
- Jessica Zelinka (born ), Canadian pentathlete
- Jessica Zhu (born ), Chinese-American pianist
People with the middle name
Fictional characters
- Jessica (The Merchant of Venice), in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
- Lady Jessica, in the Dune science fiction universe
- Jessica Baker, in the film Cheaper by the Dozen and its sequel
- Jessica "Jessie" Bannon, in the television series The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
- Jessica Brynley, in Arknights
- Jessica Cruz, superhero in DC Comics universe
- Jessica Darling, in a novel series by Megan McCafferty
- Jessica Davis, in the novel and Netflix series 13 Reasons Why
- Jessica Day, in the sitcom New Girl
- Jessica Drew, in the Marvel Comics Universe series Spider-Woman
- Jessica Fisher, in the television series Waterloo Road
- Jessica Fletcher, in the American television mystery series Murder, She Wrote
- Jessica Glitter, in the American sitcom How I Met Your Mother
- Jessica Hamby, in the HBO series True Blood
- Jessica James, in The Incredible Jessica James
- Jessica Jones, a superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe
- Jessica Lovejoy, in the American television comedy series The Simpsons
- Jessica Moore, in the TV series Supernatural
- Jessica Morgan, the main human protagonist of The Transformers Season 3, "The Return of Optimus Prime"
- Jessica Olson, from the Disney Channel original movie Starstruck ()
- Jessica Rabbit, in the Who Framed Roger Rabbit series
- Jessica "Jesse" Miriam Reeves, in the film Queen of the Damned
- Jessica Riggs, in the film Prancer
- Jessica Riley, a playable character in the survival horror game Until Dawn
- Jessica Ruiz, in the television series The Electric Company
- Jessica Sanders, in the NBC science fiction drama Heroes
- Jessica Stanley, in the Twilight Saga written by Stephenie Meyer
- Jessica Stiehl, fictional character in the German soap opera Verbotene Liebe (Forbidden Love)
- Jessica Tate, in the American TV series Soap
- Jessica Ushiromiya, from Umineko no Naku Koro ni
- Jessica Wakefield, in the Sweet Valley High and Sweet Valley Twins novels
- Jessica Warren, in the television series Bones
- Jessica Edwards, in the manga series and anime Legend of the Galactic Heroes
- Jessica Kaios, in the game series and anime Little Battlers Experience W
See also
References
- ^"Jesica - Name Meaning, What does Jesica mean?". Retrieved 11 August
- ^Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. (). A Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. ISBN&#;
- ^"Genesis in Matthew, Geneva and King James' versions". Retrieved 11 August
- ^Karl Elze (), Essays on Shakespeare (PCMI collection), translated by L. Dora Schmitz, Macmillan and Company
- ^Evans, Cleveland Kent (24 March ). "Evans: Shakespeare is the Author of the Name Jessica". . Omaha World Herald. Retrieved 31 March
- ^Most Popular Names of the s. Social Security Administration (SSA), United States. Retrieved February 22,
- ^Most Popular Names of the s. Social Security Administration (SSA), United States. Retrieved February 22,
- ^OACT. "Popular Baby Names". Retrieved 11 August
- ^Baby Names, England and Wales, Office for National Statistics (ONS), United Kingdom. Released: 28 July
- ^Baby Names, England and Wales, Office for National Statistics (ONS), United Kingdom. Released: 28 July