Charlotte vs Jessica
Charlotte 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 South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2017, Charlotte was ranked #1 and Jessica #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2019, Charlotte was ranked #2 and Jessica #85 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Charlotte was ranked #6 and Jessica #127 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Charlotte was ranked #10 and Jessica #48 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Charlotte was ranked #23 and Jessica #95 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Charlotte was ranked #43 and Jessica #141 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Charlotte was ranked #162 and Jessica #474 among girls in Norway.
Charlotte and Jessica over time
Charlotte and Jessica appear together in 6 published lists, across 247 years of shared records. Jessica held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Charlotte in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Jessica reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Charlotte in 2. 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 2017, Charlotte moved ahead of Jessica in England and Wales · Girls — #12 and #8 the year before became #12 and #15.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Charlotte and Jessica changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1966 and 2025, ending at #43 and #141.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Charlotte and Jessica averaged 14.3 places apart, ending at #23 and #95.
- Longest-running competitions
Charlotte and Jessica were both ranked in New Zealand · Girls for 43 years, from 1977 to 2019, ending at #2 and #85.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls60 shared years, 1966–2025
Charlotte held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Jessica in 40.
Highest recorded here: Charlotte #39 in 2018, Jessica #12 in 1995.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlotte #43, Jessica #141.
Norway · Girls59 shared years, 1964–2025
Charlotte held the stronger position in 59 of those years, Jessica in 0.
Highest recorded here: Charlotte #12 in 1990, Jessica #143 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlotte #162, Jessica #474.
New Zealand · Girls43 shared years, 1977–2019
Charlotte held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Jessica in 26.
Highest recorded here: Charlotte #1 in 2006, Jessica #1 in 1990.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Charlotte #2, Jessica #85.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Charlotte held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Jessica in 20.
Highest recorded here: Charlotte #5 in 2000, Jessica #1 in 2005.
The order changed in 2017: Charlotte moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #12 and #8; by 2017 that had become #12 and #15.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Charlotte #23, Jessica #95.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls28 shared years, 1989–2017
Charlotte held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Jessica in 15.
Highest recorded here: Charlotte #1 in 2012, Jessica #1 in 1989.
The order changed in 2005: Charlotte moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #6 and #4; by 2005 that had become #3 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Charlotte #1, Jessica #96.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Charlotte held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Jessica in 19.
Highest recorded here: Charlotte #6 in 2024, Jessica #4 in 2008.
The order changed in 2016: Charlotte moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #34 and #11; by 2016 that had become #13 and #14.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Charlotte #6, Jessica #127.
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 | Charlotte | Jessica |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Free man (feminine form of Charles). | 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 | French, feminine of Charles | Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage |
| Pronunciation | /ˈʃɑɹlət/ | /ˈd͡ʒɛs.ɪ.kə/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Lottie, Charlie, Carlotta | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #1 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #141 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 65/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 70/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Charlotte is recorded with a French, feminine of Charles origin, while Jessica is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage origin.
- Charlotte and Jessica both have 3 syllables.
- Charlotte's recorded meaning differs from Jessica's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Charlotte a "high" Data Confidence level and Jessica a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Charlotte
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #345 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1989–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2012 (recorded 1989–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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 recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2005 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #474 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls