Jessi
Jessi was the 3118th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 52 babies. Its best year was 1981, when it ranked 648th with 273 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 253 places. More babies were named Jessi in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Jessie) pet form of Jessica, Jane or Jesse · English, Scottish, Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #3,118 girls, down 251 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 52girls
- Girls and boys
- 91% girls, 9% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1981273 babies
- Total since 1880
- 7,874babies recorded
What does the name Jessi mean?
Jessi is a spelling of Jessie, pronounced the same way, so it shares Jessie's meaning and origin.
Jessie has several sources, according to Wiktionary. For girls it can be a pet form of Jessica, or an older Scottish pet form of Jane and Jean. For boys it is a form of Jesse, from Hebrew Yishai. Each source has its own meaning: Jane goes back to Hebrew for "God is gracious," while Jesse's meaning is not given in our sources. Jessie has been used in the US since 1880 for both girls and boys and was most common around 1920.
יִשַׁי (Biblical Hebrew, “Jesse”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Several sources; no single meaning.
Related names: Jessica, Jesse, Jess, Jean, Janet.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Jessie' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'John', DMNES (Durham University)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Jessi popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,118 | #10,144 | 52 | 7 |
| 2020 | #2,867 | — | 57 | — |
| 2010 | #2,142 | #5,358 | 92 | 17 |
| 2000 | #1,592 | #2,948 | 111 | 30 |
| 1990 | #913 | #1,825 | 210 | 43 |
| 1980 | #985 | #1,984 | 151 | 28 |
| 1970 | #5,201 | #5,071 | 10 | 5 |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Jessi, counting every spelling?
Jessi is a spelling of Jessie, a name family that ranked #682 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #3,118 for Jessi on its own. Together these spellings went to 417 girls in 2025.
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 Jessi?
52 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Jessi (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Jessi 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 161 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Jessi.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Jessi?
About 6,400 people born in the US named Jessi are alive today, with a median age of 33; half are between 22 and 41. That makes Jessi 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.
Jessi by state
How common Jessi was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Texas (1.6×). In 47 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Jessi: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Jessi, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Jessi
What does Jessi mean?
Jessi is a spelling of Jessie, usually explained as “pet form of Jessica, Jane or Jesse”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Jessi?
Jessi was the 3118th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 52 babies. Its best year was 1981, when it ranked 648th with 273 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 253 places. More babies were named Jessi in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Jessi a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 91% girls, 9% boys given the name Jessi in the US.
Where is Jessi most popular?
In 2021–2025, Jessi was most common in Texas (0.05 per 1,000 girls), followed by North Carolina and Illinois.