Namewise

Jessica vs Niamh

Jessica and Niamhcompared 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 2000, Jessica was ranked #1 and Niamh #94 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Jessica was ranked #127 and Niamh #47 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Jessica was ranked #48 and Niamh #76 among girls in Scotland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Jessica was ranked #141 and Niamh #90 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Jessica was ranked #139 and Niamh #208 among girls in England and Wales.

Jessica and Niamh over time

Jessica and Niamh appear together in 3 published lists, across 118 years of shared records. Niamh held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Jessica in 1.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Niamh reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Jessica and Niamh changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2024, ending at #127 and #47.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Jessica and Niamh averaged 13.1 places apart, ending at #127 and #47.

  • Mirrored each other

    Over 60 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Jessica rose about as far as Niamh fell — from #380 and #56 in 1966 to #141 and #90 in 2025.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Jessica and Niamh were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #139 and #208.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Jessica #12 in 1995, Niamh #2 in 1993.

List by list

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

    Jessica held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Niamh in 50.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #12 in 1995, Niamh #2 in 1993.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #141, Niamh #90.

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

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

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 2005, Niamh #40 in 2000.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #139, Niamh #208.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Jessica held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Niamh in 16.

    Highest recorded here: Jessica #4 in 2008, Niamh #5 in 2005.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Jessica #127, Niamh #47.

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 Niamh

Pairs where Niamh 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 — closest over the longest run.

All closest over the longest run→

Other pairs from Northern Ireland lists

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

Northern Ireland 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, Niamh
FieldJessicaNiamh
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.Traditionally interpreted as 'bright' or 'radiant'. In Irish mythology, Niamh was daughter of the sea god Manannán mac Lir, who fell in love with the poet Oisín.
OriginBiblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinageIrish (mythological)
Pronunciation/ˈd͡ʒɛs.ɪ.kə//ˈnʲiːvˠ/
Syllables31
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNeve, Níam
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Girls #139 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #90 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)82/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediumhigh

What the data shows

  • Jessica is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage origin, while Niamh is recorded with a Irish (mythological) origin.
  • Jessica has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Niamh.
  • Jessica's recorded meaning differs from Niamh's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
  • The available evidence gives Jessica a "medium" Data Confidence level and Niamh a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.

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

Niamh

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1964

    First recorded at #109 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1993 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #208 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls