Declining since 1995, #5,917 for girls today.
Popularity of Yessica since 1973
Babies named Yessica per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 118 |
| 1980s | 506 |
| 1990s | 1,439 |
| 2000s | 1,343 |
| 2010s | 405 |
| 2020s | 145 |
Meaning & origin
Yessica is a phonetic respelling of Jessica that first appeared in U.S. records in 1973. Its popularity peaked in 1995 at the height of the Jessica phenomenon, but has since been declining; by 2025 it ranked 5,917th with only 1 in 80,363 girls given the name. The variant reflects the late-20th-century trend of substituting 'Y' for 'J' to create distinctive spellings. While Jessica itself soared to number one in the 1980s and 1990s, Yessica remained a rare alternative, most commonly recorded in California. Its trajectory has been steadily falling since 1995, and it has not seen a revival.
Yessica is a modern phonetic respelling of Jessica, which was coined by William Shakespeare for his play 'The Merchant of Venice' (circa 1596). Shakespeare likely adapted the name from the biblical Iscah, the daughter of Haran in the Book of Genesis. The spelling 'Yessica' emerged in the United States in the late 20th century, influenced by the rise of names beginning with 'Y' and the popular 'Jessica' variant.
Where Yessica is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state, 2025. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Jess, Jessi, Yessi
Sibling names for Yessica
Names that share Yessica's style, for a brother or sister.
