Jess
Jess is a unisex given name, often a short form (hypocorism) of Jessica, Jesse, Jessie, Jessy, Jesswin and a surname. It may refer to:
- English
Meaning & Origin of Jess
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Jess is a unisex given name, often a short form (hypocorism) of Jessica, Jesse, Jessie, Jessy, Jesswin and a surname. It may refer to:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Jess
Jess first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 103 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1915: 577 births, good for #193 nationwide. As of 2026, Jess ranks #4,609 for baby boys with 22 births, gradually falling (-14%). All told, over 25K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Jess
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Jess. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Jess
Phonetically similar names — useful when Jess is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jess
What does the name Jess mean?
What is the origin of the name Jess?
How popular is Jess in 2026?
When was Jess most popular?
In which U.S. states is Jess most popular?
Is Jess a unisex name?
What names go well with Jess?
What are nicknames or variants of Jess?
About the name Jess
Jess is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 25K births in the dataset. Jess's peak popularity came in 1915 when it ranked #109. Use the chart and map above to compare Jess's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1915 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- Names starting with "J" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.