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.
Side by side
| Field | Emily | Jessica |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Rival, 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. |
| Origin | Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia | Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛməli/ | /ˈd͡ʒɛs.ɪ.kə/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Em, Emmy, Emilie, Amelia, Aemilia | 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 | Republic of Ireland · Girls #6 (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 | high | medium |
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
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
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2003 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #44 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