Hayley vs Jessica
Hayley 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.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Hayley was ranked #230 and Jessica #48 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2016, Hayley was ranked #99 and Jessica #50 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2016, Hayley was ranked #89 and Jessica #72 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Hayley was ranked #227 and Jessica #127 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Hayley was ranked #478 and Jessica #139 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Hayley was ranked #148 and Jessica #141 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Hayley and Jessica over time
Hayley and Jessica appear together in 5 published lists, across 184 years of shared records. Jessica held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Hayley in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one 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 2 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 1978, Jessica moved ahead of Hayley in New Zealand · Girls — #59 and #65 the year before became #52 and #26.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 37 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Hayley and Jessica averaged 29.3 places apart, ending at #89 and #72.
- Longest-running competitions
Hayley and Jessica were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #478 and #139.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Girls within 2 years — Hayley #14 in 1990, Jessica #1 in 1990.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls51 shared years, 1968–2025
Hayley held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jessica in 51.
Highest recorded here: Hayley #48 in 1997, Jessica #12 in 1995.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hayley #148, Jessica #141.
New Zealand · Girls39 shared years, 1977–2016
Hayley held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Jessica in 38.
Highest recorded here: Hayley #14 in 1990, Jessica #1 in 1990.
The order changed in 1978: Jessica moved ahead. In 1977 they stood at #59 and #65; by 1978 that had become #52 and #26.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Hayley #99, Jessica #50.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls37 shared years, 1979–2016
Hayley held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jessica in 37.
Highest recorded here: Hayley #18 in 2003, Jessica #1 in 1984.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Hayley #89, Jessica #72.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Hayley held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jessica in 30.
Highest recorded here: Hayley #57 in 1996, Jessica #1 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hayley #478, Jessica #139.
Northern Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1997–2024
Hayley held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jessica in 27.
Highest recorded here: Hayley #57 in 1997, Jessica #4 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hayley #227, 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 | Hayley | Jessica |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | 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 | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /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, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #148 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #139 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 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
- Jessica has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage); Hayley does not have one recorded yet.
- Hayley has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Jessica.
- A meaning is recorded for Jessica; Hayley doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Hayley
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #401 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1973–2016
Highest recorded position: #14 among girls in New Zealand, in 1990 (recorded 1973–2016).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #478 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