Jesse
Feminine · “gift”
Jesse is given to boys far more often — 432,428 boys against 12,492 girls since 1880. See Jesse as a boy name
Jesse is David's father, and the Hebrew is generally read as 'gift' — though the derivation has never been settled.
How old is the name Jesse?
Jesse was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Jesse alive today was born around 1989, making them about 36 years old. About 11,000 people named Jesse are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Jesse most popular?
Jesse peaked in 1981, reaching #517 nationally. Today it ranks #2458, 1,941 places below that high. See the whole 1981 chart.
Where it comes from
From Yishai to Jesse
The story of Jesse
Isaiah promises a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and medieval art turned it into the Tree of Jesse — a genealogy of Christ growing out of a sleeping man, one of the great subjects of stained glass. The name's own meaning has never been settled. Feminine Jesse appears in American records in current use.
Meaningscholars disagree
gift; the Lord exists
From the Hebrew Yishai, whose meaning is genuinely disputed. Proposals include 'gift', 'wealthy' and 'the Lord exists'. Isaiah's 'shoot from the stump of Jesse' made the name a Christian image. Neither derivation is established.
How the name formed
- Yishai
- Jesse
Related forms: ישי · Isaí · Jessie
Pronouncing Jesse
JES-ee
Two syllables, stress on the first. Jesse and Jessie are homophones.
Nicknames for Jesse
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1880
- Most girls named
- 1981380 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #517reached in 1981
- Change vs 2022
- +38.5%72 in 2025, from 52
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Jesse in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- ישי in Hebrew — related form
- Isaí in Spanish — related form
- Jessie in English — spelling variant
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Texas, Florida.
Jesses among us
people named Jesse are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 22,323 born in 2025 was named Jesse
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Carroll test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Jesse's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Carroll climbed just as high around 1943, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Carroll's path sketches the road Jesse is walking now.
Jesse sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Jesse is headed
Jesse should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Jesse beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Jesse in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- The Tree of Jesse is a first-rate subject in medieval art.
- Jess is available as a short form with a large record.
- Two clean syllables with no pronunciation risk.
- The meaning is genuinely disputed.
- It reads as masculine to most English speakers.
- Jessie is the commoner feminine spelling.
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What they receive
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Jesse
Feminine · #2458 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Jesses are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 11,000 people named Jesse are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Jesse in 2025?
- Jesse ranks #2458 among US girl names in 2025, with 72 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Jesse?
- About 1 in every 22,323 US girls born in 2025 was named Jesse — 72 in all.
- Will my child share the name Jesse with classmates?
- Jesse will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Jesse
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Jailyn#2458 · Samia#2458 · Roxy#2458 · Edna#2458 · Zaniya#2458 · Alanis#2458 · Aiyla#2458 · Keyli#2458
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Jesse? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Jesse and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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