The name Jessica literally means, "he sees." It is usually pronounced Jess-a-kah and is of Hebrew origin. It is often said that it was first used by William Shakespeare in one of his best-known plays, 'The Merchant of Venice.'
It is believed that Shakespeare may have got the inspiration for the name 'Jessica' from names in the Bible. The names 'Iscah' and 'Jesca' are both referred to in the New Testament and many people believe they may have influenced the playwright to name Shylock's daughter in the play 'Jessica.' Therefore the actual origin of the name is not totally known, although it does appear for the first time in the play.
This name was really popular in the United States in the 1970s up until the late 1990s. By the time it reached the year 2006, it had fallen down the popularity list for girl's names - dropping to 32. Since then however it has continued to become more popular again across the world and in 2007 it was voted as the fifth most popular girl's name in the United Kingdom. In addition, in 2011 it is also featured in the top 10 popular girl names in Australia and New Zealand.
The name is shared by many famous faces including Jessica Biel, Jessica Lange and Jessica Simpson.
It is believed that Shakespeare may have got the inspiration for the name 'Jessica' from names in the Bible. The names 'Iscah' and 'Jesca' are both referred to in the New Testament and many people believe they may have influenced the playwright to name Shylock's daughter in the play 'Jessica.' Therefore the actual origin of the name is not totally known, although it does appear for the first time in the play.
This name was really popular in the United States in the 1970s up until the late 1990s. By the time it reached the year 2006, it had fallen down the popularity list for girl's names - dropping to 32. Since then however it has continued to become more popular again across the world and in 2007 it was voted as the fifth most popular girl's name in the United Kingdom. In addition, in 2011 it is also featured in the top 10 popular girl names in Australia and New Zealand.
The name is shared by many famous faces including Jessica Biel, Jessica Lange and Jessica Simpson.