Namewise

Jessica vs Natalie

Jessica and Nataliecompared 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 Zealand · Girls

    In 2014, Jessica was ranked #36 and Natalie #84 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2021, Jessica was ranked #38 and Natalie #350 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 2014, Jessica was ranked #40 and Natalie #93 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Jessica was ranked #48 and Natalie #541 among girls in Scotland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Jessica was ranked #139 and Natalie #634 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Jessica was ranked #141 and Natalie #381 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2025, Jessica was ranked #474 and Natalie #269 among girls in Norway.

Jessica and Natalie over time

Jessica and Natalie appear together in 6 published lists, across 232 years of shared records. Jessica held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Natalie 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.

Natalie 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 Natalie in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #21 and #15 the year before became #7 and #11.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Jessica and Natalie changed places 4 times in Norway · Girls between 1968 and 2025, ending at #474 and #269.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 37 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Jessica and Natalie averaged 32.1 places apart, ending at #40 and #93.

  • Mirrored each other

    Over 60 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Jessica rose about as far as Natalie fell — from #380 and #236 in 1966 to #141 and #381 in 2025.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Jessica and Natalie were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #139 and #634.

List by list

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

    Jessica held the stronger position in 49 of those years, Natalie in 11.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #12 in 1995, Natalie #76 in 1992.

    The order changed in 1978: Jessica moved ahead. In 1977 they stood at #200 and #159; by 1978 that had become #130 and #152.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #141, Natalie #381.

  • Norway · Girls52 shared years, 1968–2025

    Jessica held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Natalie in 40.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #143 in 2010, Natalie #69 in 2005.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #474, Natalie #269.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls37 shared years, 1976–2014

    Jessica held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Natalie in 6.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 1984, Natalie #9 in 1976.

    The order changed in 1982: Jessica moved ahead. In 1981 they stood at #21 and #15; by 1982 that had become #7 and #11.

    Most recent shared year, 2014: Jessica #40, Natalie #93.

  • New Zealand · Girls31 shared years, 1977–2014

    Jessica held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Natalie in 1.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 1990, Natalie #16 in 1984.

    The order changed in 1978: Jessica moved ahead. In 1977 they stood at #65 and #30; by 1978 that had become #26 and #31.

    Most recent shared year, 2014: Jessica #36, Natalie #84.

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

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

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 2005, Natalie #42 in 1996.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #139, Natalie #634.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls22 shared years, 1997–2021

    Jessica held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Natalie in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #4 in 2008, Natalie #66 in 1997.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2021: Jessica #38, Natalie #350.

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 Natalie

Pairs where Natalie 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, Natalie
FieldJessicaNatalie
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.From the Roman names Natalis/Natalia, from Latin 'natalis' ('relating to birth, birthday') — connecting the name to Christmas Day as Jesus's traditional birthday.
OriginBiblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinageLatin
Pronunciation/ˈd͡ʒɛs.ɪ.kə//ˈnæt.ə.li/
Syllables33
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)Norway · Girls #269 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)82/10082/100
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 Natalie is recorded with a Latin origin.
  • Jessica and Natalie both have 3 syllables.
  • Jessica's recorded meaning differs from Natalie'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

Natalie

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1964

    First recorded at #92 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1964–2014

    Highest recorded position: #9 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1976 (recorded 1964–2014).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #634 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls