Namewise

Jessica vs Mia

Jessica and Miacompared 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 2017, Jessica was ranked #96 and Mia #5 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Jessica was ranked #141 and Mia #11 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 2019, Jessica was ranked #85 and Mia #15 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Jessica was ranked #127 and Mia #20 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Jessica was ranked #139 and Mia #21 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2025, Jessica was ranked #474 and Mia #21 among girls in Norway.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Jessica was ranked #48 and Mia #26 among girls in Scotland.

Jessica and Mia over time

Jessica and Mia appear together in 6 published lists, across 192 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.

The order between them changed and held in 6 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 6 of those lists, and Mia 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 2017, Mia moved ahead of Jessica in England and Wales · Girls — #8 and #10 the year before became #15 and #7.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Jessica and Mia changed places 7 times in Norway · Girls between 1964 and 2025, ending at #474 and #21.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Jessica and Mia averaged 31.6 places apart, ending at #139 and #21.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Jessica and Mia were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #139 and #21.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Girls within 2 years — Jessica #143 in 2010, Mia #8 in 2011.

List by list

  • Norway · Girls58 shared years, 1964–2025

    Jessica held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Mia in 51.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #143 in 2010, Mia #8 in 2011.

    The order changed in 1983: Mia moved ahead. In 1982 they stood at #243 and #257; by 1983 that had become #217 and #205.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #474, Mia #21.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls36 shared years, 1971–2025

    Jessica held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Mia in 17.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #12 in 1995, Mia #6 in 2012.

    The order changed in 2009: Mia moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #22 and #23; by 2009 that had become #27 and #14.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #141, Mia #11.

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

    Jessica held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Mia in 9.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 2005, Mia #5 in 2019.

    The order changed in 2017: Mia moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #8 and #10; by 2017 that had become #15 and #7.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #139, Mia #21.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Jessica held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Mia in 6.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #4 in 2008, Mia #14 in 2015.

    The order changed in 2019: Mia moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #16 and #23; by 2019 that had become #28 and #22.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Jessica #127, Mia #20.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls21 shared years, 1997–2017

    Jessica held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Mia in 11.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 1997, Mia #2 in 2008.

    The order changed in 2007: Mia moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #6 and #8; by 2007 that had become #10 and #5.

    Most recent shared year, 2017: Jessica #96, Mia #5.

  • New Zealand · Girls19 shared years, 2001–2019

    Jessica held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Mia in 10.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 2001, Mia #7 in 2017.

    The order changed in 2010: Mia moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #17 and #24; by 2010 that had become #17 and #16.

    Most recent shared year, 2019: Jessica #85, Mia #15.

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 Mia

Pairs where Mia 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 — one moved ahead of the other.

All one moved ahead of the other→

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, Mia
FieldJessicaMia
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.Directly a diminutive of Maria.
OriginBiblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinageScandinavian/Italian, via Maria
Pronunciation/ˈd͡ʒɛs.ɪ.kə//ˈmiːə/
Syllables31
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)New South Wales, Australia · Girls #5 (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 Mia is recorded with a Scandinavian/Italian, via Maria origin.
  • Jessica has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Mia.
  • Jessica's recorded meaning differs from Mia'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

Mia

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1947

    First recorded at #357 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1997–2025

    Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2008 (recorded 1997–2025).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #21 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls