Jessa

Jessa is a short form of Jessica, keeping the opening Jess and giving it a concise a ending. Jessica’s history is closely tied to Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, where it is the name of Shylock’s daughter. The name is generally connected with the biblical Iscah, although the exact interpretation of that older Hebrew name is not entirely certain.

Jessa offers a way to preserve the Jessica connection while choosing a shorter full name. It has also appeared independently in contemporary television and public life, including the character Jessa in Girls. Jess remains an easy further shortening. The result has both a literary family history and a separate modern presence, without requiring Jessica to be the official name.