Jessica
Girl name · #665 in 2025 · Rare
Jessica ranks #665 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 424 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #206, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 4,245 girls born in 2025 was named Jessica.
The 145-year story
Jessica first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 7 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1987, when 55,992 girls were named Jessica — good for #1 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Jessica per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Jessica against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Jessica in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Jessica is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Jessica will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Jessica is most common
Geography matters for names, and Jessica is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Jessica is most common in UT (0.6 per 1,000), AZ (0.6 per 1,000), SC (0.5 per 1,000), WA (0.5 per 1,000), CA (0.4 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.3 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Jessica is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Jessica
Jessica carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the Jessica family went to about 754 girls in 2025 — together they'd rank around #414, versus #665 for Jessica alone.
Names like Jessica
Statistically, parents drawn to Jessica tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Erica, Angelica, Monica, Veronica, and Amanda.
EricaAngelicaMonicaVeronicaAmandaNatashaAlishaJohanna
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Jessica | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 424 | #665 |
| 2024 | 527 | #575 |
| 2023 | 550 | #549 |
| 2022 | 620 | #508 |
| 2021 | 656 | #477 |
| 2020 | 780 | #399 |
| 2019 | 970 | #331 |
| 2018 | 1,065 | #313 |
| 2017 | 1,292 | #246 |
| 2016 | 1,392 | #231 |
| 2015 | 1,592 | #206 |
| 2014 | 1,804 | #179 |
| 2013 | 1,951 | #164 |
| 2012 | 2,335 | #137 |
| 2011 | 2,626 | #118 |
| 2010 | 3,200 | #92 |
| 2009 | 3,801 | #78 |
| 2008 | 4,739 | #59 |
| 2007 | 5,714 | #42 |
| 2006 | 6,815 | #32 |
| 2005 | 8,115 | #27 |
| 2004 | 9,470 | #21 |
| 2003 | 10,454 | #18 |
| 2002 | 11,921 | #16 |
| 2001 | 13,925 | #11 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Jessica a popular girl name?
Jessica ranked #665 among girls in 2025 with 424 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #206.
When was the name Jessica most popular?
Jessica peaked in 1987, when 55,992 American girls received the name (ranked #1 that year). Since 1987 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Jessica?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 4,245 newborn American girls was named Jessica. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.