Jesse
Jesse was the 184th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,002 babies. Its best year was 1882, when it ranked 26th; the most babies were born in 1981 (10,443). Over the last ten years it has moved down 6 places. More babies were named Jesse in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Hebrew
Say it JES-ee /ˈdʒɛsi/
- Rank in 2025
- #184 boys, up 19 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,002boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 198110,443 babies
- Total since 1880
- 444,920babies recorded
What does the name Jesse mean?
Jesse is the father of King David in the Bible. The English form comes through Greek Iessai and Latin Iesse from Hebrew Yishai. Its meaning is not certain: DMNES glosses it 'gift of God', but other proposals exist and the Hebrew form is hard to analyze. Wikipedia notes the name's popularity comes from the biblical figure. Wiktionary notes that Jesse is mainly a boy's name, while the girl's name is usually spelled Jessie.
יִשַׁי (Biblical Hebrew, “Yishai”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. DMNES gives 'gift of God', but the meaning of Yishai is debated.
Related names: Jessie, Jess, Yishai, Isaí.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Jesse', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Hebrew Bible, I Samuel 16:1, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria; verse reference and facts only, not quoted
- Wiktionary, entry 'Jesse', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Jesse (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Jesse
The usual nicknames for Jesse are Jess. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Jesse in the last five years, 1 were named Jess, against 2 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jess · also for Jessica, Jessie | Traditional | #5,299 | 107 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Jesses go by each one.
Jesse popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 12,492 since 1880, 72 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #184 | 2,002 |
| 2020 | #203 | 1,887 |
| 2010 | #124 | 3,280 |
| 2000 | #90 | 4,485 |
| 1990 | #48 | 8,977 |
| 1980 | #45 | 8,374 |
| 1970 | #119 | 2,768 |
| 1960 | #150 | 2,374 |
| 1950 | #114 | 2,607 |
| 1940 | #93 | 2,205 |
| 1930 | #94 | 2,035 |
| 1920 | #79 | 2,420 |
| 1910 | #60 | 590 |
| 1900 | #50 | 536 |
| 1890 | #33 | 576 |
| 1880 | #28 | 569 |
How popular is Jesse, counting every spelling?
Jesse is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #197 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #184 for Jesse on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,012 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jesse | 2,002 | #184 | 9,713 |
| Jese | 10 | #7,916 | 40 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Jesse?
2,002 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Jesse (0.56 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Jesse born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 4 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Jesse.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Jesse?
About 320,000 people born in the US named Jesse are alive today, with a median age of 38; half are between 27 and 48. That makes Jesse mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Jesse by state
How common Jesse was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Montana (2.7×), Alaska (2.3×), South Dakota (2.3×), Utah (1.7×), West Virginia (1.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Minnesota, District of Columbia, Connecticut.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Jesse: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Jesse, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Jesse · Sibling names for Jesse
Questions about the name Jesse
What does Jesse mean?
The origin of Jesse is uncertain: DMNES gives 'gift of God', but the meaning of Yishai is debated.
How popular is the name Jesse?
Jesse was the 184th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,002 babies. Its best year was 1882, when it ranked 26th; the most babies were born in 1981 (10,443). Over the last ten years it has moved down 6 places. More babies were named Jesse in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Jesse a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Jesse in the US.
Where is Jesse most popular?
In 2021–2025, Jesse was most common in Montana (3.00 per 1,000 boys), followed by Wyoming and Alaska.