Namewise

Jessica vs Lucy

Jessica and Lucycompared 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.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Jessica was ranked #141 and Lucy #16 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 2019, Jessica was ranked #85 and Lucy #20 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Jessica was ranked #48 and Lucy #28 among girls in Scotland.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 2017, Jessica was ranked #96 and Lucy #34 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Jessica was ranked #127 and Lucy #38 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Jessica was ranked #139 and Lucy #143 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2025, Jessica was ranked #474 and Lucy #296 among girls in Norway.

Jessica and Lucy over time

Jessica and Lucy appear together in 6 published lists, across 221 years of shared records. Jessica held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Lucy in 2.

The order between them changed and held in 4 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 4 of those lists, Lucy in 2. 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 2012, Lucy moved ahead of Jessica in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #20 and #24 the year before became #24 and #20.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Jessica and Lucy changed places 7 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2024, ending at #127 and #38.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Jessica and Lucy averaged 16.9 places apart, ending at #139 and #143.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Jessica and Lucy were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #139 and #143.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Jessica #1 in 2005, Lucy #7 in 2003.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls60 shared years, 1966–2025

    Jessica held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Lucy in 33.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #12 in 1995, Lucy #3 in 2016.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #141, Lucy #16.

  • New Zealand · Girls39 shared years, 1979–2019

    Jessica held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Lucy in 11.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 1990, Lucy #12 in 2006.

    The order changed in 2009: Lucy moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #9 and #14; by 2009 that had become #17 and #16.

    Most recent shared year, 2019: Jessica #85, Lucy #20.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls33 shared years, 1985–2017

    Jessica held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Lucy in 6.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 1985, Lucy #20 in 2012.

    The order changed in 2012: Lucy moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #20 and #24; by 2012 that had become #24 and #20.

    Most recent shared year, 2017: Jessica #96, Lucy #34.

  • Norway · Girls31 shared years, 1964–2025

    Jessica held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Lucy in 9.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #143 in 2010, Lucy #212 in 2018.

    The order changed in 2017: Lucy moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #244 and #290; by 2017 that had become #329 and #319.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #474, Lucy #296.

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

    Jessica held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Lucy in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 2005, Lucy #7 in 2003.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #139, Lucy #143.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Jessica held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Lucy in 19.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #4 in 2008, Lucy #4 in 2007.

    The order changed in 2017: Lucy moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #14 and #16; by 2017 that had become #25 and #16.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Jessica #127, Lucy #38.

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 Lucy

Pairs where Lucy 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 England and Wales lists

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

England and Wales overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Jessica, Lucy
FieldJessicaLucy
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
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.The English form of Lucia, from Latin 'lux' meaning 'light'. In use since the Middle Ages.
OriginBiblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinageLatin
Pronunciation/ˈd͡ʒɛs.ɪ.kə//ˈluː.si/
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, NZ
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Girls #139 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #16 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)82/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Jessica is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage origin, while Lucy is recorded with a Latin origin.
  • Jessica has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Lucy.
  • Jessica's recorded meaning differs from Lucy'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

  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

Lucy

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1964

    First recorded at #523 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 recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2016 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #143 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls