Jessica vs Lisa
Jessica and Lisacompared 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 1997, Jessica was ranked #1 and Lisa #100 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1997, Jessica was ranked #1 and Lisa #85 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2019, Jessica was ranked #28 and Lisa #336 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Jessica was ranked #48 and Lisa #790 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Jessica was ranked #139 and Lisa #661 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Jessica was ranked #141 and Lisa #443 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Jessica was ranked #474 and Lisa #174 among girls in Norway.
Jessica and Lisa over time
Jessica and Lisa appear together in 6 published lists, across 209 years of shared records. Jessica held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Lisa in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Lisa reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 of those lists, and Jessica 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 1982, Jessica moved ahead of Lisa in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #21 and #7 the year before became #7 and #10.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 22 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Jessica and Lisa averaged 39.4 places apart, ending at #1 and #100.
- Longest-running competitions
Jessica and Lisa were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #139 and #661.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls60 shared years, 1966–2025
Jessica held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Lisa in 28.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #12 in 1995, Lisa #3 in 1984.
The order changed in 1994: Jessica moved ahead. In 1993 they stood at #16 and #13; by 1994 that had become #16 and #22.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #141, Lisa #443.
Norway · Girls59 shared years, 1964–2025
Jessica held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Lisa in 59.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #143 in 2010, Lisa #37 in 1994.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #474, Lisa #174.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Jessica held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Lisa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 2005, Lisa #105 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #139, Lisa #661.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls22 shared years, 1976–1997
Jessica held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Lisa in 6.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 1984, Lisa #5 in 1978.
The order changed in 1982: Jessica moved ahead. In 1981 they stood at #21 and #7; by 1982 that had become #7 and #10.
Most recent shared year, 1997: Jessica #1, Lisa #100.
New Zealand · Girls21 shared years, 1977–1997
Jessica held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Lisa in 6.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 1990, Lisa #4 in 1979.
The order changed in 1983: Jessica moved ahead. In 1982 they stood at #12 and #5; by 1983 that had become #5 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 1997: Jessica #1, Lisa #85.
Northern Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 1997–2019
Jessica held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Lisa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #4 in 2008, Lisa #63 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Jessica #28, Lisa #336.
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 | Lisa |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Elizabeth, often used independently — notably the name of the subject of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage | Hebrew, short form of Elizabeth |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒɛs.ɪ.kə/ | /ˈliː.sə/ |
| 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) | Norway · Girls #174 (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 Lisa is recorded with a Hebrew, short form of Elizabeth origin.
- Jessica has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Lisa.
- Jessica's recorded meaning differs from Lisa'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
Lisa
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #330 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1962–1997
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New Zealand, in 1968 (recorded 1962–1997).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #661 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls