Jessica

First used by William Shakespeare in Merchant of Venice, probably from Hebrew יִסְכָּה‎ (yiskah, “Iscah in Genesis 11:29, Jescha in the Wycliffe version”), a proper name meaning "one who looks forth" (but apparently not used as an ordinary word with that meaning).

• By folk etymology seen as an elaborate form of Jessie, from Jane.

• enPR: jĕsʹĭkə, IPA^(key): /ˈdʒɛsɪkə/

Jessica (plural Jessicas)

1. A female given name; formerly rare, but since the 1970s popular in all English-speaking countries.
   • 1594 William Shakespeare: The Merchant of Venice: Act V: Scene I:

     Lorenzo: In such a night / Did Jessica steal from the wealthy Jew, / And with an unthrift love did run from Venice, / As far as Belmont.

     Jessica: In such a night / Did young Lorenzo swear he lov'd her well, / Stealing her soul with many vows of faith, / And ne'er a true one.

     Lorenzo: In such a night / Did pretty Jessica, like a little shrew, / Slander her love, and he forgave it her.

   • 1996 Tad Williams, The Writer's Child, The Sandman Book of Dreams, HarperCollins, →ISBN, page 154:

     She will be beautiful, of course - how could our child not be beautiful? We will name her...Jessica. Yes, that's a good name, not one of those lighter-than-air names so popular among writers of romances and fairy tales. That's a name a real little girl might have.

• (diminutives): Jess, Jessie, Jes, Jessa .

From English Jessica.

Jessica

1. a female given name

For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:Jessica.

Jessica

1. A female given name recently borrowed from English.

• IPA^(key): /ʒɛ.si.ka/

Jessica

1. A female given name borrowed from English, popular in the end of the 20th century.

Jessica

1. A female given name borrowed from English, popular in the end of the 20th century.

• Jessika

Jessica c (genitive Jessicas)

1. A female given name borrowed from English and popular in the end of the 20th century.