Jessica is a female name of Hebrew origin. It means "God sees" or "God beholds". The name Jessica is derived from the male name Jesse, which was borne by King David's father in the Bible. In the Old Testament, it is said that God saw and heard the cries of the Israelites during their slavery in Egypt, hence the meaning of the name.
The name Jessica became popular in the English-speaking world after William Shakespeare used it in his play "The Merchant of Venice". In this play, Jessica is the daughter of Shylock, a Jewish merchant. Although she is not a main character, her role in the play helped to bring attention to the name and contributed to its popularity.
Today, Jessica remains a popular name for girls around the world. It has been consistently ranked among the top 100 baby names in the United States since the 1980s. While it is most commonly used in English-speaking countries, variations of the name can be found in other languages as well, such as Jessika in German or Xuxa in Portuguese.
In summary, Jessica is a female name with Hebrew origins that means "God sees". Its popularity can be traced back to Shakespeare's use of the name in his play "The Merchant of Venice", and it remains a popular choice for girls today.
Based on the statistical data provided, it appears that the name Jessic experienced fluctuations in popularity over time in the United States. The earliest recorded year is 1977 with a total of 6 births. This number remained consistent for two more years before dropping to 5 births in 1980.
However, starting from 1981, there was an increase in the usage of the name Jessic, reaching its peak popularity in 1987 with 21 births that year. After this peak, the number of newborns named Jessic decreased, with only 7 births recorded in both 1990 and 1994.
Overall, from 1977 to 1994, there were a total of 139 babies born in the United States with the name Jessic. This data shows that while the name had its periods of popularity, it did not consistently rank among the most common names during this time period.