Hannah vs Jessica
Hannah 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, Hannah was ranked #21 and Jessica #141 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2017, Hannah was ranked #28 and Jessica #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Hannah was ranked #66 and Jessica #48 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2019, Hannah was ranked #53 and Jessica #85 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Hannah was ranked #57 and Jessica #127 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Hannah was ranked #105 and Jessica #139 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Hannah was ranked #116 and Jessica #474 among girls in Norway.
Hannah and Jessica over time
Hannah and Jessica appear together in 6 published lists, across 242 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 3 of the lists they share.
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 2025, Hannah moved ahead of Jessica in England and Wales · Girls — #107 and #95 the year before became #105 and #139.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Hannah and Jessica changed places 5 times in New Zealand · Girls between 1978 and 2019, ending at #53 and #85.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Hannah and Jessica averaged 22.6 places apart, ending at #105 and #139.
- Longest-running competitions
Hannah and Jessica were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #105 and #139.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls60 shared years, 1966–2025
Hannah held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Jessica in 21.
Highest recorded here: Hannah #5 in 2019, Jessica #12 in 1995.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hannah #21, Jessica #141.
Norway · Girls47 shared years, 1976–2025
Hannah held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Jessica in 10.
Highest recorded here: Hannah #25 in 2005, Jessica #143 in 2010.
The order changed in 1991: Hannah moved ahead. In 1990 they stood at #170 and #166; by 1991 that had become #165 and #230.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hannah #116, Jessica #474.
New Zealand · Girls42 shared years, 1978–2019
Hannah held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Jessica in 32.
Highest recorded here: Hannah #2 in 1996, Jessica #1 in 1990.
The order changed in 2012: Hannah moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #23 and #22; by 2012 that had become #21 and #23.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Hannah #53, Jessica #85.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls35 shared years, 1983–2017
Hannah held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Jessica in 27.
Highest recorded here: Hannah #8 in 1997, Jessica #1 in 1984.
The order changed in 2010: Hannah moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #18 and #15; by 2010 that had become #19 and #20.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Hannah #28, Jessica #96.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Hannah held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Jessica in 29.
Highest recorded here: Hannah #6 in 1996, Jessica #1 in 2005.
The order changed in 2025: Hannah moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #107 and #95; by 2025 that had become #105 and #139.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hannah #105, Jessica #139.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Hannah held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Jessica in 10.
Highest recorded here: Hannah #6 in 1998, Jessica #4 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hannah #57, 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 | Hannah | Jessica |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'favour' or 'grace', referring to graciousness. | 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 | Biblical Hebrew | Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhænə/ | /ˈd͡ʒɛs.ɪ.kə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 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 | Republic of Ireland · Girls #21 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #139 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Hannah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Jessica is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage origin.
- Hannah has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Jessica.
- Hannah'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
Hannah
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #91 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 recorded1978–2023
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New Zealand, in 1996 (recorded 1978–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #105 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