Namewise

Jessica vs Lara

Jessica and Laracompared 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, Jessica was ranked #48 and Lara #131 among girls in Scotland.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 2017, Jessica was ranked #96 and Lara #72 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Jessica was ranked #139 and Lara #98 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Jessica was ranked #141 and Lara #102 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Jessica was ranked #127 and Lara #110 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2025, Jessica was ranked #474 and Lara #144 among girls in Norway.

Jessica and Lara over time

Jessica and Lara appear together in 5 published lists, across 175 years of shared records. Jessica held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Lara in 0.

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, and Lara in none. 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 2025, Lara moved ahead of Jessica in England and Wales · Girls — #95 and #98 the year before became #139 and #98.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Jessica and Lara changed places 5 times in Norway · Girls between 1968 and 2025, ending at #474 and #144.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Jessica and Lara were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #139 and #98.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Jessica #1 in 2000, Lara #25 in 2002.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls58 shared years, 1968–2025

    Jessica held the stronger position in 55 of those years, Lara in 3.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #12 in 1995, Lara #80 in 2002.

    The order changed in 2025: Lara moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #117 and #142; by 2025 that had become #141 and #102.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #141, Lara #102.

  • Norway · Girls40 shared years, 1968–2025

    Jessica held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Lara in 10.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #143 in 2010, Lara #129 in 2022.

    The order changed in 2017: Lara moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #244 and #254; by 2017 that had become #329 and #303.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #474, Lara #144.

  • England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Jessica held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Lara in 1.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 2005, Lara #85 in 2022.

    The order changed in 2025: Lara moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #95 and #98; by 2025 that had become #139 and #98.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #139, Lara #98.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Jessica held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Lara in 2.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #4 in 2008, Lara #51 in 2023.

    The order changed in 2023: Lara moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #62 and #81; by 2023 that had become #60 and #51.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Jessica #127, Lara #110.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls19 shared years, 1999–2017

    Jessica held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Lara in 2.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 2000, Lara #25 in 2002.

    The order changed in 2016: Lara moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #49 and #67; by 2016 that had become #72 and #71.

    Most recent shared year, 2017: Jessica #96, Lara #72.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Jessica

Pairs where Jessica shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Lara

Pairs where Lara shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — peaked in the same years.

All peaked in the same years→

Other pairs from New South Wales, Australia lists

Pairs measured inside New South Wales, Australia's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New South Wales, Australia overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2010s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2010 and 2019.

The 2010s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Jessica, Lara
FieldJessicaLara
Record typeEditorially researched profileOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningCoined 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.Not yet recorded
OriginBiblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinageNot yet recorded
Pronunciation/ˈd͡ʒɛs.ɪ.kə/
Syllables32
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Girls #139 (2025)England and Wales · Girls #98 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/100Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)82/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Jessica has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage); Lara does not have one recorded yet.
  • Jessica has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Lara.
  • A meaning is recorded for Jessica; Lara doesn't have one written yet.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.

How each name got here

Jessica

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2005 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #139 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Lara

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1968

    First recorded at #553 among girls in Norway in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1999–2023

    Highest recorded position: #25 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2002 (recorded 1999–2023).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #98 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls