Jessica vs Olivia
Jessica and Oliviacompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Jessica was ranked #139 and Olivia #1 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Jessica was ranked #48 and Olivia #1 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2017, Jessica was ranked #96 and Olivia #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Jessica was ranked #127 and Olivia #2 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Jessica was ranked #474 and Olivia #2 among girls in Norway.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2019, Jessica was ranked #85 and Olivia #4 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Jessica was ranked #141 and Olivia #8 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Jessica and Olivia over time
Jessica and Olivia appear together in 6 published lists, across 236 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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 5 of those lists, Olivia in 1. 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 2006, Olivia moved ahead of Jessica in England and Wales · Girls — #1 and #4 the year before became #3 and #2.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jessica and Olivia changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1966 and 2025, ending at #141 and #8.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Jessica and Olivia averaged 21.9 places apart, ending at #139 and #1.
- Longest-running competitions
Jessica and Olivia were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #139 and #1.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls60 shared years, 1966–2025
Jessica held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Olivia in 31.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #12 in 1995, Olivia #4 in 1975.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #141, Olivia #8.
New Zealand · Girls43 shared years, 1977–2019
Jessica held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Olivia in 15.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 1990, Olivia #1 in 2012.
The order changed in 2005: Olivia moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #7 and #8; by 2005 that had become #5 and #4.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Jessica #85, Olivia #4.
Norway · Girls41 shared years, 1964–2025
Jessica held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Olivia in 28.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #143 in 2010, Olivia #2 in 2023.
The order changed in 1996: Olivia moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #218 and #319; by 1996 that had become #378 and #316.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #474, Olivia #2.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls34 shared years, 1978–2017
Jessica held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Olivia in 15.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 1988, Olivia #1 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Jessica #96, Olivia #2.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Jessica held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Olivia in 21.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 2005, Olivia #1 in 2008.
The order changed in 2006: Olivia moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #1 and #4; by 2006 that had become #3 and #2.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #139, Olivia #1.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Jessica held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Olivia in 12.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #4 in 2008, Olivia #2 in 2024.
The order changed in 2014: Olivia moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #9 and #15; by 2014 that had become #14 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jessica #127, Olivia #2.
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 | Olivia |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Commonly interpreted as 'olive tree' or 'symbol of peace'. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒɛs.ɪ.kə/ | /əˈlɪviə/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Olivea, Liv, Livvy, Oliwia |
| 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) | England and Wales · Girls #1 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Jessica is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage origin, while Olivia is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Jessica and Olivia both have 3 syllables.
- Jessica's recorded meaning differs from Olivia's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Jessica a "medium" Data Confidence level and Olivia 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
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
Olivia
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #488 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 2008 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls