Jessika is a feminine given name of Scandinavian origin, derived from the Norwegian and Swedish names Jesper and Jessica respectively. The name Jesper is believed to have been created as a masculine form of the name Jesus, while Jessica is thought to be a feminized form of Jesse, which itself has Hebrew origins meaning "God is my oath."
The name Jessika is therefore a variant spelling of these two names and shares their meanings accordingly. It can mean "God is my oath" or "Jesus," depending on its origin.
Historically, the name Jesper has been used in Norway since the Middle Ages, while Jessica gained popularity in England during the 17th century after it was introduced by William Shakespeare in his play "The Merchant of Venice." As a variant spelling of these names, Jessika may have emerged as a distinct given name more recently.
Today, Jessika is still most commonly used in Scandinavian countries but can also be found elsewhere around the world. It is often considered a unique and stylish alternative to more traditional spellings like Jessica or Jesse. Despite its origins, there are no specific celebrations or traditions associated with the name Jessika itself.
The name Jessika has seen a significant rise and fall in popularity over the years in the United States. In the late 1960s to early 1970s, there were fewer than 10 births per year with this name. However, from 1984 onwards, we began to see a steady increase in its popularity.
The peak of Jessika's popularity was reached in 1987 and 1988, with 278 and 272 births respectively. This marked a significant shift from previous years where the number of births did not exceed triple digits.
However, this trend did not continue into the 1990s. Although there were still over 200 births each year between 1990 and 1996, the popularity of the name began to decline again after that period. From 1997 onwards, the number of annual births with the name Jessika fell below 200.
The most recent data available shows that in 2022, there were only 8 births with the name Jessika in the United States. This signifies a dramatic decrease from its peak popularity three decades ago.
In total, over nearly six decades (1968 to 2023), there have been approximately 5,954 births of girls named Jessika in the United States. Despite fluctuations in popularity, this figure demonstrates that the name has been given to a significant number of children during this period.