Jessica (given name)

Jessica (originally Iessica, also Jesica, Jesika, Jessicah, Jessika, or Jessikah)[1] is a female given name.

For other uses, see Jessica (disambiguation).
Jessica
A painting depicting Shylock and Jessica by Maurycy Gottlieb. The first use of the name Jessica is found in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. Act 2, Scene 3: (2.3.1) "Enter Iessica and the Clowne".
Pronunciation/ˈdʒɛsɪkə/
GenderFemale
Origin
Word/nameEnglish derived from Hebrew
MeaningForesighted, "to see before"
Region of originHebrew
Popularitysee popular names

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 Hebrew: יִסְכָּה : yisekāh), the name of a daughter of Haran briefly mentioned in the Book of Genesis 11:29. Iscah was rendered "Iesca" (Jeska) in the Matthew Bible version available in Shakespeare's day.[2][3][4]

"Jessica" was the first- or second-most popular female baby name in the United States from 1981 to 1998[5][6] before falling out of the Top 20 in 2004.[7] It also rose to #1 in England and Wales in 2005,[8] dropping to #3 in 2006.[9] Common nicknames of the name Jessica include "Jess" and "Jessie".

People with the given name

People with the middle name

Fictional characters

See also

References
  1. "Jesica - Name Meaning, What does Jesica mean?". www.thinkbabynames.com. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  2. Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. (1990). A Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-211651-7.
  3. "Genesis 11:29 in Matthew, Geneva and King James' versions". Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  4. Karl Elze (1874), Essays on Shakespeare (PCMI collection), translated by L. Dora Schmitz, Macmillan and Company
  5. Most Popular 1000 Names of the 1980s. Social Security Administration (SSA), United States. Retrieved February 22, 2007.
  6. Most Popular 1000 Names of the 1990s. Social Security Administration (SSA), United States. Retrieved February 22, 2007.
  7. OACT. "Popular Baby Names". www.ssa.gov. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  8. Baby Names, England and Wales, 2005. Office for National Statistics (ONS), United Kingdom. Released: 28 July 2011.
  9. Baby Names, England and Wales, 2006. Office for National Statistics (ONS), United Kingdom. Released: 28 July 2011.
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