Namewise

Ella vs Jessica

Ella 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.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2025, Ella was ranked #4 and Jessica #474 among girls in Norway.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 2017, Ella was ranked #9 and Jessica #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Ella was ranked #9 and Jessica #48 among girls in Scotland.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 2019, Ella was ranked #12 and Jessica #85 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Ella was ranked #12 and Jessica #127 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Ella was ranked #17 and Jessica #141 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Ella was ranked #39 and Jessica #95 among girls in England and Wales.

Ella and Jessica over time

Ella and Jessica appear together in 6 published lists, across 201 years of shared records. Ella held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Jessica in 2.

The order between them changed and held in 5 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 6 of those lists, and Ella 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.

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, Ella moved ahead of Jessica in England and Wales · Girls — #9 and #8 the year before became #9 and #15.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Ella and Jessica averaged 19.2 places apart, ending at #39 and #95.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Ella and Jessica were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 52 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #4 and #474.

List by list

  • Norway · Girls52 shared years, 1964–2025

    Ella held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Jessica in 18.

    Highest recorded here: Ella #3 in 2019, Jessica #143 in 2010.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Ella #4, Jessica #474.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls46 shared years, 1970–2025

    Ella held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Jessica in 23.

    Highest recorded here: Ella #3 in 2007, Jessica #12 in 1995.

    The order changed in 2003: Ella moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #28 and #17; by 2003 that had become #14 and #19.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Ella #17, Jessica #141.

  • England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024

    Ella held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Jessica in 20.

    Highest recorded here: Ella #6 in 2015, Jessica #1 in 2005.

    The order changed in 2017: Ella moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #9 and #8; by 2017 that had become #9 and #15.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Ella #39, Jessica #95.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Ella held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Jessica in 16.

    Highest recorded here: Ella #2 in 2015, Jessica #4 in 2008.

    The order changed in 2013: Ella moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #12 and #5; by 2013 that had become #4 and #9.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Ella #12, Jessica #127.

  • New Zealand · Girls26 shared years, 1993–2019

    Ella held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Jessica in 9.

    Highest recorded here: Ella #1 in 2007, Jessica #1 in 1993.

    The order changed in 2003: Ella moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #7 and #1; by 2003 that had become #3 and #5.

    Most recent shared year, 2019: Ella #12, Jessica #85.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls20 shared years, 1998–2017

    Ella held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Jessica in 7.

    Highest recorded here: Ella #2 in 2007, Jessica #1 in 2000.

    The order changed in 2005: Ella moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #8 and #4; by 2005 that had become #5 and #6.

    Most recent shared year, 2017: Ella #9, Jessica #96.

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 Ella

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

Other comparisons involving Jessica

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

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one moved ahead of the other.

All one moved ahead of the other→

Other pairs from New Zealand lists

Pairs measured inside New Zealand's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New Zealand overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2010s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2010 and 2019.

The 2010s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Ella, Jessica
FieldEllaJessica
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningA diminutive of Eleanor, Ellen and other names beginning with 'El-', also used as a short form of names ending in '-ella'. Widely used across Scandinavian and Germanic languages as well as English.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.
OriginGermanic, diminutive formBiblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage
Pronunciation/ˈɛl.ə//ˈd͡ʒɛs.ɪ.kə/
Syllables23
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNorway · Girls #4 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #141 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10082/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Ella is recorded with a Germanic, diminutive form origin, while Jessica is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage origin.
  • Ella has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Jessica.
  • Ella'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

Ella

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #137 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1993–2023

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New Zealand, in 2007 (recorded 1993–2023).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #11 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

Jessica

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1996–2024

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2005 (recorded 1996–2024).

    England and Wales · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #474 among girls in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Girls