Jessica vs Kate
Jessica and Katecompared 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 South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2008, Jessica was ranked #16 and Kate #84 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2014, Jessica was ranked #36 and Kate #81 among girls in New Zealand.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Jessica was ranked #48 and Kate #541 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Jessica was ranked #141 and Kate #52 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Jessica was ranked #127 and Kate #134 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Jessica was ranked #139 and Kate #1079 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2022, Jessica was ranked #379 and Kate #490 among girls in Norway.
Jessica and Kate over time
Jessica and Kate appear together in 6 published lists, across 231 years of shared records. Jessica held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Kate in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 1982, Jessica moved ahead of Kate in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #21 and #14 the year before became #7 and #15.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jessica and Kate changed places 5 times in Norway · Girls between 1964 and 2022, ending at #379 and #490.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 33 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Jessica and Kate averaged 30.6 places apart, ending at #16 and #84.
- Longest-running competitions
Jessica and Kate were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #139 and #1079.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Jessica #1 in 1984, Kate #11 in 1986.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls57 shared years, 1966–2025
Jessica held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Kate in 28.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #12 in 1995, Kate #10 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #141, Kate #52.
Norway · Girls45 shared years, 1964–2022
Jessica held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Kate in 13.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #158 in 2008, Kate #126 in 1964.
The order changed in 1980: Jessica moved ahead. In 1979 they stood at #300 and #257; by 1980 that had become #236 and #370.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Jessica #379, Kate #490.
New Zealand · Girls38 shared years, 1977–2014
Jessica held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Kate in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 1990, Kate #14 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Jessica #36, Kate #81.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls33 shared years, 1976–2008
Jessica held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Kate in 6.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 1984, Kate #11 in 1986.
The order changed in 1982: Jessica moved ahead. In 1981 they stood at #21 and #14; by 1982 that had become #7 and #15.
Most recent shared year, 2008: Jessica #16, Kate #84.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Jessica held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Kate in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 2005, Kate #59 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #139, Kate #1079.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Jessica held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Kate in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #4 in 2008, Kate #47 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jessica #127, Kate #134.
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 | Kate |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | A short form of Katherine, used independently since the Middle Ages — appears in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew (1593) as a short form of Katherina. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage | Greek, short form of Katherine |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒɛs.ɪ.kə/ | /ˈkeɪt/ |
| 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 | England and Wales · Girls #139 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #52 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| 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 Kate is recorded with a Greek, short form of Katherine origin.
- Jessica has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Kate.
- Jessica's recorded meaning differs from Kate'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 recorded1996–2025
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
Kate
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #233 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #10 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1079 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls