Namewise

Emily vs Jessica

Emily 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.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Emily was ranked #5 and Jessica #127 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Emily was ranked #6 and Jessica #141 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Emily was ranked #7 and Jessica #48 among girls in Scotland.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 2019, Emily was ranked #13 and Jessica #85 among girls in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 2017, Emily was ranked #14 and Jessica #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Emily was ranked #44 and Jessica #139 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2025, Emily was ranked #71 and Jessica #474 among girls in Norway.

Emily and Jessica over time

Emily and Jessica appear together in 6 published lists, across 249 years of shared records. Emily held the stronger position in more years in 4 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 5 of those lists, Emily in 1. 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 2013, Emily moved ahead of Jessica in England and Wales · Girls — #4 and #3 the year before became #3 and #6.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Emily and Jessica changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2025, ending at #44 and #139.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Emily and Jessica averaged 13.8 places apart, ending at #44 and #139.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Emily and Jessica were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #44 and #139.

  • Peaked in the same years

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

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls60 shared years, 1966–2025

    Emily held the stronger position in 39 of those years, Jessica in 21.

    Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2011, Jessica #12 in 1995.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #6, Jessica #141.

  • Norway · Girls47 shared years, 1969–2025

    Emily held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Jessica in 13.

    Highest recorded here: Emily #47 in 2014, Jessica #143 in 2010.

    The order changed in 1991: Emily moved ahead. In 1990 they stood at #225 and #166; by 1991 that had become #215 and #230.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #71, Jessica #474.

  • New Zealand · Girls43 shared years, 1977–2019

    Emily held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Jessica in 27.

    Highest recorded here: Emily #2 in 2013, Jessica #1 in 1990.

    The order changed in 2006: Emily moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #9 and #5; by 2006 that had become #6 and #8.

    Most recent shared year, 2019: Emily #13, Jessica #85.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls41 shared years, 1977–2017

    Emily held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Jessica in 21.

    Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 1998, Jessica #1 in 1984.

    The order changed in 2001: Emily moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #2 and #1; by 2001 that had become #1 and #2.

    Most recent shared year, 2017: Emily #14, Jessica #96.

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

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

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

    The order changed in 2013: Emily moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #4 and #3; by 2013 that had become #3 and #6.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #44, Jessica #139.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Emily held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Jessica in 10.

    Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2013, Jessica #4 in 2008.

    The order changed in 2009: Emily moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #7 and #4; by 2009 that had become #7 and #11.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Emily #5, 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.

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 Emily

Pairs where Emily 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 South Wales, Australia lists

Pairs measured inside New South Wales, Australia'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 South Wales, Australia 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 Emily, Jessica
FieldEmilyJessica
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningRival, striving, eager (traditional interpretation of the Latin root).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.
OriginLatin, from the Roman family name AemiliaBiblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage
Pronunciation/ˈɛməli//ˈd͡ʒɛs.ɪ.kə/
Syllables33
Common variants / nicknamesEm, Emmy, Emilie, Amelia, AemiliaNot 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 #6 (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 Confidencehighmedium

What the data shows

  • Emily is recorded with a Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia origin, while Jessica is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage origin.
  • Emily and Jessica both have 3 syllables.
  • Emily'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 Emily 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

Emily

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1964

    First recorded at #180 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — 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: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2003 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #44 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