Abigail vs Jess

Abigail and Jesscompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.

Head to head

Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.

Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Abigail was ranked #80 and Jess #407 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Abigail was ranked #102 and Jess #541 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Abigail was ranked #115 and Jess #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Abigail was ranked #154 and Jess #5891 among girls in England and Wales.

Abigail and Jess over time

Abigail and Jess appear together in 2 published lists, across 40 years of shared records. Abigail held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Jess in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Abigail reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Jess in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.

Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.

List by list

England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2024
Abigail held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Jess in 0.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #19 in 2000, Jess #769 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Abigail #154, Jess #5891.
Republic of Ireland · Girls12 shared years, 1990–2025
Abigail held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Jess in 0.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #36 in 2008, Jess #355 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Abigail #115, Jess #544.

Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Abigail

Pairs where Abigail shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Shannon vs Abigail
In 1996 they stood at #11 and #21 in England and Wales · Girls, 10 places apart; by 2024 they were #1743 and #154.
Shannon · Abigail · 29 shared years, 1996–2024 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2024 England and Wales ranking
Danielle vs Abigail
In 1996 they stood at #20 and #21 in England and Wales · Girls, 1 places apart; by 2024 they were #934 and #154.
Danielle · Abigail · 29 shared years, 1996–2024 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2024 England and Wales ranking
Jade vs Abigail
In 1996 they stood at #19 and #21 in England and Wales · Girls, 2 places apart; by 2024 they were #638 and #154.
Jade · Abigail · 29 shared years, 1996–2024 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2024 England and Wales ranking
Fiona vs Abigail
In 1997 they stood at #66 and #72 in Northern Ireland · Girls, 6 places apart; by 2017 they were #432 and #48.
Fiona · Abigail · 18 shared years, 1997–2017 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2017 Northern Ireland ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Abigail, Jess
Field	Abigail	Jess
Record type	Official statistical record (evidence-only)	Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usage	female	Used for both boys and girls
Meaning	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Origin	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Pronunciation	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Syllables	3	1
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ	GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE
Most recent popularity observation	New South Wales, Australia · Girls #55 (2025)	Republic of Ireland · Girls #544 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	82/100	95/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Abigail has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Jess.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.

How each name got here

Abigail

Popularity journey

First recorded1969
First recorded at #303 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in England and Wales, in 2000 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #55 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls

Jess

Popularity journey

First recorded1990
First recorded at #517 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1990 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1990–2025
Highest recorded position: #355 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2020 (recorded 1990–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls