Jesse
Meaning
from Hebrew Yishai, of uncertain meaning; proposed roots include "gift" and "existence"
Goes by Jess
Famously borne by Jesse Owens.
The story
Jesse reaches English through the Greek form of Hebrew Yishai. Its exact meaning is uncertain: proposed roots connect it with a gift or with existence, so neither gloss should be presented as a proven translation. In the Hebrew Bible, Jesse is the father of King David, and English Protestants began using the name after the Reformation. The spelling later developed a separate gender story beside Jessie, but this page follows the predominantly masculine US record. That curve is remarkable for continuity. Jesse is present from the beginning, holds a low steady line through much of the twentieth century, rises modestly in the 1980s through the 2000s, and remains familiar in the 2020s. It never depends on one revival to return. Jesse feels informal in modern English, yet its roots are older and less neatly translated than the easy sound suggests.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Jesse peaked in the 1980s and the 2000s in nearly equal measure.
Popularity in Brazil
22,114 people · the #998 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 9,174 · median age 36
Among people named Jesse living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1980s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 533 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Jesse
Most people given the name Jesse in the United States were born between 1970 and 2009. The Jesse you meet today is most often in his 30s or 40s.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Jesse deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Jesse truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Jesse fits with your family’s names and surname.
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