Namewise

Ellie vs Jessica

Ellie 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.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Ellie was ranked #15 and Jessica #141 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Ellie was ranked #18 and Jessica #127 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2025, Ellie was ranked #33 and Jessica #474 among girls in Norway.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Ellie was ranked #35 and Jessica #48 among girls in Scotland.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 2019, Ellie was ranked #41 and Jessica #85 among girls in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 2017, Ellie was ranked #44 and Jessica #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Ellie was ranked #119 and Jessica #139 among girls in England and Wales.

Ellie and Jessica over time

Ellie and Jessica appear together in 6 published lists, across 135 years of shared records. Jessica held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Ellie in 1.

The order between them changed and held in 6 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, Ellie 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 2023, Ellie moved ahead of Jessica in England and Wales · Girls — #82 and #69 the year before became #82 and #83.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Ellie and Jessica changed places 7 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2024, ending at #18 and #127.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Ellie and Jessica averaged 19.3 places apart, ending at #119 and #139.

  • Mirrored each other

    Over 34 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Ellie rose about as far as Jessica fell — from #488 and #54 in 1987 to #15 and #141 in 2025.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Ellie and Jessica were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #119 and #139.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ellie #2 in 2003, Jessica #1 in 2005.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1987–2025

    Ellie held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Jessica in 18.

    Highest recorded here: Ellie #6 in 2023, Jessica #12 in 1995.

    The order changed in 2010: Ellie moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #36 and #27; by 2010 that had become #28 and #30.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Ellie #15, Jessica #141.

  • England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Ellie held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Jessica in 25.

    Highest recorded here: Ellie #2 in 2003, Jessica #1 in 2005.

    The order changed in 2023: Ellie moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #82 and #69; by 2023 that had become #82 and #83.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Ellie #119, Jessica #139.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Ellie held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Jessica in 15.

    Highest recorded here: Ellie #3 in 2005, Jessica #4 in 2008.

    The order changed in 2019: Ellie moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #25 and #16; by 2019 that had become #11 and #28.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Ellie #18, Jessica #127.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls17 shared years, 1992–2017

    Ellie held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Jessica in 14.

    Highest recorded here: Ellie #40 in 2016, Jessica #1 in 1992.

    The order changed in 2015: Ellie moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #51 and #40; by 2015 that had become #45 and #49.

    Most recent shared year, 2017: Ellie #44, Jessica #96.

  • Norway · Girls17 shared years, 2005–2025

    Ellie held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Jessica in 6.

    Highest recorded here: Ellie #30 in 2021, Jessica #143 in 2010.

    The order changed in 2013: Ellie moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #287 and #178; by 2013 that had become #202 and #249.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Ellie #33, Jessica #474.

  • New Zealand · Girls9 shared years, 2011–2019

    Ellie held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Jessica in 6.

    Highest recorded here: Ellie #40 in 2015, Jessica #22 in 2011.

    The order changed in 2017: Ellie moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #59 and #50; by 2017 that had become #58 and #81.

    Most recent shared year, 2019: Ellie #41, Jessica #85.

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 Ellie

Pairs where Ellie 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 — peaked in the same years.

All peaked in the same years→

Other pairs from England and Wales lists

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

England and Wales overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Ellie, Jessica
FieldEllieJessica
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningA diminutive of several longer names, particularly Eleanor, Ellen and Elizabeth.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.
OriginVarious, diminutive formBiblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage
Pronunciation/ˈɛl.i//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 observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #15 (2025)England and Wales · Girls #139 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10082/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

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

Ellie

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1987

    First recorded at #488 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1987 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in England and Wales, in 2003 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #119 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · 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 recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2005 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #139 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls