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Jennifer vs Jessica - What's the difference?

jennifer | jessica |

As proper nouns the difference between jennifer and jessica

is that jennifer is while jessica is ; formerly rare, but since the 1970s popular in all english-speaking countries.

jennifer

English

Alternative forms

* Jenifer

Proper noun

(en proper noun)
  • .
  • * 1906 , The Doctor's Dilemma , Act I:
    • RIDGEON. Thats a wonderful drawing. Why is it called Jennifer ?
    MRS DUBEDAT. My name is Jennifer .
    RIDGEON. A strange name.
    MRS DUBEDAT. Not in Cornwall. I am Cornish. It's only what you call Guinevere.
  • * 1960 , The Hunt for Richard Thorpe , Doubleday, page 10:
    • "Most people's sisters have decent names like Jennifer or Jane or something. What did you say hers was?"
  • * 2000 , Nothing Gold Can Stay , Dutton, ISBN 0525945598, page 131:
    • Jennifer . Jenny with the light brown hair. Jenny-fair, their high school French teacher had called her, and fair she had been.

    Usage notes

    The name was mostly used in Cornwall before the 20th century. It became popular in all English-speaking countries, first in UK in the 1950s, and then in US as the top name for women born in 1970-1984.

    Related terms

    * Gaynor * Ginevra * Guinevere * pet forms: Jeni, Jen, Jennie, Jenny, Jenni, Jeny ----

    jessica

    English

    Proper noun

    (en proper noun)
  • ; formerly rare, but since the 1970s popular in all English-speaking countries .
  • * 1594 William Shakespeare: The Merchant of Venice: Act V: Scene I:
    • Lorenzo : In such a night / Did Jessica steal from the wealthy Jew, / And with an unthrift love did run from Venice, / As far as Belmont.
    Jessica : In such a night / Did young Lorenzo swear he lov'd her well, / Stealing her soul with many vows of faith, / And ne'er a true one.
    Lorenzo : In such a night / Did pretty Jessica , like a little shrew, / Slander her love, and he forgave it her.
  • * 1996 , The Writer's Child , The Sandman Book of Dreams, HarperCollins, ISBN 0002246325, page 154:
    • She will be beautiful, of course - how could our child not be beautiful? We will name her...Jessica . Yes, that's a good name, not one of those lighter-than-air names so popular among writers of romances and fairy tales. That's a name a real little girl might have.

    Related terms

    * (diminutives) Jess, Jessie Jes .