Jessica was coined by Shakespeare for Shylock's daughter in The Merchant of Venice, most likely from the Hebrew Iscah, which is usually explained as "to behold" or "God beholds". It was the most popular girls' name in America for most of the years from 1985 to 1995, the era of Jessica Lange, Jessica Alba and Jessica Simpson. The name was still eighth in 2000 but has fallen steadily since, to 206 in 2015 and 665 in 2025.