Pumpkin2022
Active member
Well, it can't be proven that he invented it, per se. But the first written instance of the name is found in the Bard's 1596 play The Merchant of Venice: Shylock's daughter, an Anglicization of the biblical name Iscah, is named Jessica.
The name Jessica definitely has a unique history, especially with its first mention in Shakespeare's *The Merchant of Venice*. It's cool to think about how a name can carry so much cultural significance and become popular over centuries. If you're curious about more names and their origins, there’s a lot to explore in how literature shapes language and naming trends. 
