Elise vs Jessica
Elise 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 2011, Elise was ranked #87 and Jessica #22 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2014, Elise was ranked #82 and Jessica #40 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Elise was ranked #188 and Jessica #48 among girls in Scotland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Elise was ranked #63 and Jessica #474 among girls in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Elise was ranked #337 and Jessica #127 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Elise was ranked #335 and Jessica #139 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Elise was ranked #381 and Jessica #141 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Elise and Jessica over time
Elise and Jessica appear together in 5 published lists, across 161 years of shared records. Jessica held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Elise in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Elise reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Jessica 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Elise and Jessica were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #335 and #139.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Elise #49 in 1987, Jessica #1 in 1985.
List by list
Norway · Girls59 shared years, 1964–2025
Elise held the stronger position in 59 of those years, Jessica in 0.
Highest recorded here: Elise #23 in 2001, Jessica #143 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elise #63, Jessica #474.
Republic of Ireland · Girls35 shared years, 1983–2025
Elise held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jessica in 35.
Highest recorded here: Elise #132 in 2014, Jessica #12 in 1995.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elise #381, Jessica #141.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Elise held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jessica in 30.
Highest recorded here: Elise #96 in 2002, Jessica #1 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elise #335, Jessica #139.
Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1997–2024
Elise held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jessica in 26.
Highest recorded here: Elise #147 in 2003, Jessica #4 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elise #337, Jessica #127.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls11 shared years, 1985–2014
Elise held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jessica in 11.
Highest recorded here: Elise #49 in 1987, Jessica #1 in 1985.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Elise #82, Jessica #40.
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 | Elise | Jessica |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A short form of Elizabeth, used across Germanic and Scandinavian languages. | 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 | Hebrew, via German/Scandinavian transmission | Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage |
| Pronunciation | /eˈliː.seh/ | /ˈd͡ʒɛs.ɪ.kə/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | 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 | Norway · Girls #63 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #139 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Elise is recorded with a Hebrew, via German/Scandinavian transmission origin, while Jessica is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage origin.
- Elise and Jessica both have 3 syllables.
- Elise'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.
How each name got here
Elise
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #223 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #23 among girls in Norway, in 2001 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #335 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