Jesse
Jesse is a given name of Hebrew origin. It derives its popularity from the biblical figure Jesse, father of Israelite monarch David. The English version is derived from the Latin Iesse, borrowed from the Ancient Greek Iessaí (Ἰεσσαί), and ultimately from the Hebrew Yišay (יִשַׁי).
- English
- Dutch
- Finnish
- Biblical
Meaning & Origin of Jesse
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Jesse is a given name of Hebrew origin. It derives its popularity from the biblical figure Jesse, father of Israelite monarch David. The English version is derived from the Latin Iesse, borrowed from the Ancient Greek Iessaí (Ἰεσσαί), and ultimately from the Hebrew Yišay (יִשַׁי).
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Dutch
- Finnish
- Biblical
- Portuguese
- French
The Story of Jesse
Jesse first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 569 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1981: 10,444 births, good for #37 nationwide. The 1980s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 20% of all recorded Jesses. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #184 among baby boy names with 1,958 births, holding steady (-3%). In total, more than 434K Jesses have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Jesse
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Jesse. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Jesse
Phonetically similar names — useful when Jesse 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 Jesse
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About the name Jesse
Jesse is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 434K births in the dataset. Jesse's peak popularity came in 1981 when it ranked #26. Use the chart and map above to compare Jesse's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1981 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- 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.