William Shakespeare invented the name “Jessica.”
Along with such phrases as “too much of a good thing” and “the clothes make the man,” we can also thank Shakespeare for the name Jessica. The Bard first used it in his play The Merchant of Venice (likely written around 1596), as the name of the moneylender Shylock’s defiant daughter. Some scholars think Shakespeare may have been inspired by the Hebrew name Iskah from the Bible, which was spelled “Jeska” in some English translations of the Old Testament. The name means both “to see” and “to possess foresight.”
Though it took several hundred years, Jessica eventually became an extremely popular first name. It consistently ranked among the 10 most popular baby names for girls born in the U.S. between 1976 and 2000, reached the top spot 1985–1990, and reclaimed it 1993–1995. Its popularity has waned over the last decade, however, and in 2020 it ranked #399. If you’re a Jessica fan, fret not: A successful Merchant of Venice adaptation may be all it takes for the name to reclaim its former glory.
Though there’s little evidence to support the theory, the humble circumstances of Shakespeare’s life and his lack of a university education have led some scholars to suggest that he was not the true author of his sophisticated, extraordinarily influential body of work. Dozens of other authors have been put forward as the man behind the pen, with Sir Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe, and Edward de Vere, the 17th earl of Oxford, among the most notable names suggested by “anti-Stratfordians.” Others believe that a group of writers collaborated under the name of Shakespeare. The vast majority of scholars reject the theory, but it’s likely that Shakespeare himself would understand why it persists — there’s nothing like a little scandal and intrigue to pique a reader’s interest.
