Amanda vs Jessica
Amanda and Jessicacompared 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.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1997, Amanda was ranked #72 and Jessica #1 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1999, Amanda was ranked #84 and Jessica #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Amanda was ranked #52 and Jessica #474 among girls in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Amanda was ranked #354 and Jessica #62 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Amanda was ranked #983 and Jessica #139 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Amanda was ranked #608 and Jessica #141 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Amanda and Jessica over time
Amanda and Jessica appear together in 6 published lists, across 199 years of shared records. Jessica held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Amanda in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Amanda reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Jessica in 1. 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.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1983, Jessica moved ahead of Amanda in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #4 and #7 the year before became #5 and #3.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 24 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Amanda and Jessica averaged 32.7 places apart, ending at #84 and #2.
- Longest-running competitions
Amanda and Jessica were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #983 and #139.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls60 shared years, 1966–2025
Amanda held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Jessica in 36.
Highest recorded here: Amanda #15 in 1986, Jessica #12 in 1995.
The order changed in 1990: Jessica moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #25 and #44; by 1990 that had become #33 and #21.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Amanda #608, Jessica #141.
Norway · Girls49 shared years, 1971–2025
Amanda held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Jessica in 12.
Highest recorded here: Amanda #26 in 2016, Jessica #143 in 2010.
The order changed in 1988: Amanda moved ahead. In 1987 they stood at #292 and #230; by 1988 that had become #173 and #229.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Amanda #52, Jessica #474.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Amanda held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jessica in 30.
Highest recorded here: Amanda #170 in 1996, Jessica #1 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Amanda #983, Jessica #139.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls24 shared years, 1976–1999
Amanda held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Jessica in 17.
Highest recorded here: Amanda #2 in 1980, Jessica #1 in 1984.
The order changed in 1983: Jessica moved ahead. In 1982 they stood at #4 and #7; by 1983 that had become #5 and #3.
Most recent shared year, 1999: Amanda #84, Jessica #2.
New Zealand · Girls21 shared years, 1977–1997
Amanda held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Jessica in 17.
Highest recorded here: Amanda #4 in 1985, Jessica #1 in 1990.
The order changed in 1982: Jessica moved ahead. In 1981 they stood at #14 and #16; by 1982 that had become #13 and #12.
Most recent shared year, 1997: Amanda #72, Jessica #1.
Northern Ireland · Girls15 shared years, 1997–2022
Amanda held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jessica in 15.
Highest recorded here: Amanda #164 in 1998, Jessica #4 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Amanda #354, Jessica #62.
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.
Side by side
| Field | Amanda | Jessica |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Coined by William Shakespeare for his 1596 play The Merchant of Venice, where it belongs to Shylock's daughter — likely based on the biblical name Iscah, also spelled Jescha/Jischa in some translations of Shakespeare's time. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈd͡ʒɛs.ɪ.kə/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #52 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #139 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jessica has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage); Amanda does not have one recorded yet.
- Amanda and Jessica both have 3 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Jessica; Amanda doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Amanda
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #84 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1999
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1980 (recorded 1954–1999).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #983 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Jessica
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #471 among girls in Norway in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2005 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #139 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls