First name Jessica - Meaning, Origin and Rating

Meaning

Jessica is a feminine given name of Hebrew origin, generally understood to mean "God sees" or "God beholds." The name was coined by William Shakespeare for the character Jessica, the daughter of a Jewish merchant, in "The Merchant of Venice". It is widely believed to be inspired by the biblical name Iscah (Yiskah), who appears in the Book of Genesis as the daughter of Haran. Jessica was one of the most popular female names in the United States, ranking 1st or 2nd from 1981 to 1997, before dropping out of the top 20 in 2004. In England and Wales, it remained in the top five from 2000 to 2008, reaching its best ranking of 1st place in 2005. Notable bearers of the name include actresses Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba, Jessica Lange, and Jessica Tandy, as well as singer Jessica Simpson.