The name Jessica is primarily a female name of Hebrew origin that means God Beholds.
The name was invented by Shakespeare for the daughter of a Jewish merchant in "The Merchant of Venice." He probably derived it from Iscah (Yiskah), the name of a daughter of Haran from the Book of Genesis in the Bible.
Jessica ranked #1 or #2 in the United States from 1981 to 1997 and left the top 20 in 2004. In England & Wales it stayed in the top 5 from 2000 to 2008, its peak reaching #1 in 2005.
Famous Jessicas include: actress Jessica Biel, singer Jessica Simpson, actress Jessica Alba, actress Jessica Lange, and actress Jessica Tandy.
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