Pronunciation | /ˈdʒɛsɪkə/ JESS-ik-ə |
---|---|
Gender | Female |
Origin | |
Word/name | Early Modern English , derived from Hebrew , ultimately from the triconsonantal root ס־כ־ה, 'to see, behold, look for' |
Meaning | "he will see/behold/look for" |
Region of origin | Mesopotamia , during the exile of the Judean aristocracy from Judea |
Other names | |
Related names |
Jessica (originally Iessica, also Jesica, Jesika, Jessicah, Jessika, or Jessikah) [1] is a female given name of Hebrew origin.
The oldest written record of the name with its current spelling is found as the name of the Shakespearean character Jessica, from the play The Merchant of Venice . The name may have been an Anglicisation of the biblical Iscah (from Hebrew : יִסְכָּה, romanized: yiskā́), the name of a daughter of Haran briefly mentioned in the Book of Genesis (11:29). Iscah was rendered "Iesca" (Jeska) in the Matthew Bible version available in Shakespeare's day. [2] [3] [4] Alternately, Shakespeare might have derived the name as a feminine version of the name Jesse, or from the word jess, a thin leather strap used to tether a bird such as a falcon in falconry. [5]
"Jessica" was the first- or second-most popular female baby name in the United States from 1981 to 1998 [6] [7] before falling out of the Top 20 in 2004. [8] It also rose to No. 1 in England and Wales in 2005, [9] dropping to No. 3 in 2006. [10] Common nicknames of the name Jessica include "Jess", "Jessi" and "Jessie".
Alexandra is a female given name of Greek origin. It is the first attested form of its variants, including Alexander. Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb ἀλέξειν and ἀνήρ. Thus it may be roughly translated as "defender of man" or "protector of man". The name Alexandra was one of the epithets given to the Greek goddess Hera and as such is usually taken to mean "one who comes to save warriors". The earliest attested form of the name is the Mycenaean Greek 𐀀𐀩𐀏𐀭𐀅𐀨, written in the Linear B syllabic script. Alexandra and its masculine equivalent, Alexander, are both common names in Greece as well as countries where Germanic, Romance, and Slavic languages are spoken.
Natasha is a name of Russian origin. It is the diminutive form of the Latin name Natalia, which means "born on Christmas Day".
Kristina is a feminine given name and a regional variant of Christine. Notable people and characters with the name include:
Danielle is a modern French female variant of the male name Daniel, meaning "The God(dess)" in the French language.
Chelsea is an English given name derived from the Old English place name ċealc hȳð, or the modern Celcyth, meaning chalk landing place. The name evolved to Chelsea, a location on the River Thames that became a London borough known for its wealthy, socially influential residents. Many locations have been named after the English place name Chelsea.
Alisa is a female given name, a version of Alice used in Russia, Ukraine, Finland, Estonia and other countries. Notable people with the names Alisa and Alissa include:
Megan is a Welsh feminine given name, originally a diminutive form of Margaret. Margaret is from the Greek μαργαρίτης (margarítēs), Latin margarīta, "pearl". Megan is one of the most popular Welsh-language names for women in Wales and England, and is commonly truncated to Meg.
Karina (/kəˈriːnə/) is a female given name. In modern times, the country where it is most used is Russia, whereas Belarus is where it is the most popular.
Natalie or Nathaly is a feminine given name derived from the Latin phrase natale domini, meaning "birth of the Lord". Further alternative spellings of the name include Nathalie, Natalee, and Natalia/Natalija.
Amber is a feminine given name taken from amber, the fossilized tree resin that is often used in the making of jewelry. The word can also refer to a yellowish-orange color.
Tiffany is a primarily English feminine form of the Greek given name Theophania. It was formerly often given to children born on the feast of Theophania, that is, Epiphany. The equivalent Greek male name is Theophanes (Θεοφάνης), commonly shortened to Phanis (Φάνης) and the female is Theophania (Θεοφανία) or Theophano (Θεοφανώ), colloquially Phani (Φανή).
Stephanie is a female name that comes from the Greek name Στέφανος (Stephanos) meaning "crown, wreath, garland". The male form is Stephen. Forms of Stephanie in other languages include the German "Stefanie", the Italian, Czech, Polish, and Russian "Stefania", the Portuguese Estefânia, and the Spanish Estefanía. The form Stéphanie is from the French language, but Stephanie is now widely used both in English- and Spanish-speaking cultures.
Romy is a given name, often a diminutive form of names such as Rosemary or Roman or Romeo. People with the name include:
The name Brooke is most commonly a female given name and less commonly a male given name, also used as a surname. Other forms include Brook. The name "Brooke" is of English origin.
Nadine is a female given name. It is a French elaboration of the name Nadia, itself being a pet form of the Russian virtue name Nadezhda. It is also commonly used amongst Arabic communities and may mean in Arabic: نادين, romanized: nādīn, lit. 'Admonitory/Messenger, Showerer of blessings'.
Olivia is a feminine given name in the English language. It is derived from Latin oliva, olive. Both Oliva and Olivia were Latinate forms in use in English-speaking countries as early as the 13th century. Olive was in common use as a vernacular form. Though not invented by William Shakespeare, the name was popularized by a character in Twelfth Night.
Gabriella is a feminine given name used in various languages. Its English spelling originates as an Italian feminine given name from the Hebrew name Gabriel. Girls who are named Gabriella often take on a shorter version of the name, such as Bella, Ella, Gab, Gabby, and Gabbi.
Jasmin is a given name, a variant of Jasmine, and is the common form in Germany and Finland. In German, Finnish, and English-speaking countries it is feminine, whereas in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia it is masculine - the feminine variant in these countries is Jasmina. There are other variations and ways of spelling this name, such as: Yasmin, Jasminko, etc. for the masculine variant, and Yasmina, Jasminka, etc. for the feminine.
Karla is the feminine form of Karl.
Liza is primarily a feminine given name. It is sometimes used as a nickname for Elizabeth, Eliza and Luiza.