Jessica vs Julia
Jessica and Juliacompared 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.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2001, Jessica was ranked #1 and Julia #81 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2002, Jessica was ranked #2 and Julia #83 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Jessica was ranked #48 and Julia #188 among girls in Scotland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Jessica was ranked #474 and Julia #85 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Jessica was ranked #95 and Julia #223 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Jessica was ranked #141 and Julia #118 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Jessica was ranked #127 and Julia #212 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Jessica and Julia over time
Jessica and Julia appear together in 6 published lists, across 218 years of shared records. Jessica held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Julia in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Jessica reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Julia 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.
- Mirrored each other
Over 60 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Jessica rose about as far as Julia fell — from #380 and #59 in 1966 to #141 and #118 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Jessica and Julia were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 59 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #474 and #85.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls60 shared years, 1966–2025
Jessica held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Julia in 15.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #12 in 1995, Julia #31 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #141, Julia #118.
Norway · Girls59 shared years, 1964–2025
Jessica held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Julia in 58.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #143 in 2010, Julia #32 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #474, Julia #85.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jessica held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Julia in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 2005, Julia #77 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jessica #95, Julia #223.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Jessica held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Julia in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #4 in 2008, Julia #68 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jessica #127, Julia #212.
New Zealand · Girls23 shared years, 1977–2001
Jessica held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Julia in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 1990, Julia #26 in 1983.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2001: Jessica #1, Julia #81.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls19 shared years, 1979–2002
Jessica held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Julia in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 1984, Julia #70 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2002: Jessica #2, Julia #83.
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 | Jessica | Julia |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | 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. | The feminine form of the Roman family name Julius — borne by Julia Augusta and Julia the Elder, and by an early Christian martyr and patron saint of Corsica. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage | The feminine counterpart within the Roman gens Julia, the family name Julius belonged to |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒɛs.ɪ.kə/ | /ˈjʉː.lɪ.a/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| 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 #141 (2025) | Norway · Girls #85 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jessica is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage origin, while Julia is recorded with a The feminine counterpart within the Roman gens Julia, the family name Julius belonged to origin.
- Jessica has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Julia.
- Jessica's recorded meaning differs from Julia'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
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 recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2005 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #474 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Julia
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #345 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1970–2001
Highest recorded position: #26 among girls in New Zealand, in 1983 (recorded 1970–2001).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #85 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls