Courtney vs Jessica
Courtney 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 2004, Courtney was ranked #94 and Jessica #4 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2006, Courtney was ranked #96 and Jessica #8 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Courtney was ranked #432 and Jessica #25 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Courtney was ranked #1894 and Jessica #95 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Courtney was ranked #727 and Jessica #103 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Courtney and Jessica over time
Courtney and Jessica appear together in 5 published lists, across 122 years of shared records. Jessica held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Courtney in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one 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 3 of those lists, Courtney 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 2000, Jessica moved ahead of Courtney in Northern Ireland · Girls — #14 and #21 the year before became #18 and #16.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 21 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Courtney and Jessica averaged 33.7 places apart, ending at #94 and #4.
- Longest-running competitions
Courtney and Jessica were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 30 years, from 1988 to 2023, ending at #727 and #103.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1997 they stood at #12 and #15 in Northern Ireland · Girls, 3 places apart; by 2017 they were #432 and #25.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls30 shared years, 1988–2023
Courtney held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jessica in 30.
Highest recorded here: Courtney #43 in 1998, Jessica #12 in 1995.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Courtney #727, Jessica #103.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Courtney held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jessica in 29.
Highest recorded here: Courtney #17 in 1998, Jessica #1 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Courtney #1894, Jessica #95.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls21 shared years, 1984–2004
Courtney held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jessica in 21.
Highest recorded here: Courtney #11 in 1996, Jessica #1 in 1984.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2004: Courtney #94, Jessica #4.
New Zealand · Girls21 shared years, 1985–2006
Courtney held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jessica in 21.
Highest recorded here: Courtney #8 in 1996, Jessica #1 in 1990.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2006: Courtney #96, Jessica #8.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 1997–2017
Courtney held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Jessica in 18.
Highest recorded here: Courtney #12 in 1997, Jessica #4 in 2008.
The order changed in 2000: Jessica moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #14 and #21; by 2000 that had become #18 and #16.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Courtney #432, Jessica #25.
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 | Courtney | 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 | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #1894 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #141 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 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); Courtney does not have one recorded yet.
- Courtney has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Jessica.
- A meaning is recorded for Jessica; Courtney doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Courtney
Popularity journey
First recorded1984
First recorded at #68 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1984 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1985–2006
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New Zealand, in 1996 (recorded 1985–2006).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1894 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
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 recorded1996–2024
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