Jessica - What Does Your Name Mean?
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What does the name Jessica mean, what is its origin and who are the famous Jessicas? Discover the story behind the name.
Name Meaning: Jessica
Jessica is a female name pronounced Jeh-si-kah.
The meaning and origin of the name Jessica is not known.
It could be from the Hebrew biblical name 'Iscah', which means "to behold" or "foresight". Iscah was the niece of Abraham.
Jessica could also be a feminine form of the male name Jesse, which is from the Hebrew 'yishai', meaning "gift".
Alternatively, it could be a derivative of the nickname Jessie, short for Janet (meaning "God's gracious gift") or Jean (meaning "God is gracious").
Name Origin: Jessica
Jessica first appears in literature in William Shakespeare's play "The Merchant of Venice". It is probable that he took the name from the biblical "Iscah", which would have been spelled with a "J" in Shakespeare's time.
Shakespeare's Jessica is the daughter of Shylock. She is a young Jew who elopes with Lorenzo and converts to Christianity.
Nicknames for Jessica
Jessie, Jess, Jessi, Jessy, Jessa
Famous Jessicas
Jessica Simpson - American singer born 1980
Jessica Alba - American actress born 1981
Jessica Tandy - British American actress - 1901-1994
Jessica Lange - American actress born 1949
Jessica Capshaw - American actress born 1976
Jessica Biel - American model and actress born 1982
Jessica Mitford - English journalist, political campaigner and author - 1917-1996
Sarah Jessica Parker - American actress and producer born 1965
Jessica - an oil tanker that spilled a cargo of oil off the Galapagos Islands in 2001
Jessica in Fiction
Jessica Fletcher - leading character of "Murder She Wrote"
Lady Jessica Atreides - character in Frank Herbert's novel "Dune"
Jessica - character in Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice"
Jessica Rabbit - animated character in the movie "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"
Jessica - a novel by Bryce Courtenay (made into a TV mini-series in 2004)
Jessica - 1962 movie starring Angie Dickinson and Maurice Chevalier
Jessica in Music
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I guess I like my name wow I have never heard 'Jessa' being a nickname for a Jessica...I like Jessa :)
My name is Jessa. I do like it, its just very hard to find sometimes.
I would love to have the name Jessa! Its so pretty. and its true, It is hard to come by. I think though it is Hebrew for ''God'' Something or other. But im not sure.
Great article!
Hi My names Jessica, Jessica means gods grace
beauty wealth uniue and strong
My name is Jessica and I love it..it is beautiful just like me on the outside and inside:)
I agree! Jessica is a most beautiful name.
THATS MY NEW NICKNAME "JESSA"!
i love my name...........its the real me.........
Jessa(: well ahh that's pretty,
i'm sick of having 4 Jessica's in my class and calling them
Jess for short, but now Jessa` that's my new nick name !! thank's(:
Yes my name is jessica
I use 2 hate my name but now it it is AWSOME and I LOVE the name Jessa
I used to hate my name so everyone calls me Jesse but thats about to change!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love my name and yes it is Jessa not Jessica
i love name but it was so cool to her all the facts about my name and the nicknames like jessie,jessy,jessa but that is all i have to say. one more thing,i only like jessica and thats what everbody calls me. but there is this person in my classroom she has the same name as me and i hate how that had to happen. so bye jessica's.
Gypsy Willow says:
6 months ago
My goat was called Jessica,