Unisex · #15,899 in 2026

Jessel

Jessel or Jessell is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:Sir Charles Jessel, (1860–1928), baronet, British barrister, magistrate and businessman Jesselton, now Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia David Jessel, British journalist George Jessel: George Jessel (actor) (1898–1981), American vaudevillian George Jessel (jurist) (1824–1883), British jurist Herbert Jessel, 1st Baron Jessel…

Current Rank
#15,899
Peak Rank
#8,716 (2004)
Total Babies
174
5-Yr Trend
Stable
👧 Girl peak #8,716 (174 total)
👦 Boy peak #4,210 (10 total)
👧As Girl Name
1991
First Year
2017
Last Year
2004
Peak Year
#8716
Peak Rank
174
Total Count
23
Years Active
👦As Boy Name
1927
First Year
1953
Last Year
1927
Peak Year
#4210
Peak Rank
10
Total Count
2
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Jessel

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Jessel or Jessell is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:Sir Charles Jessel, (1860–1928), baronet, British barrister, magistrate and businessman Jesselton, now Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia David Jessel, British journalist George Jessel: George Jessel (actor) (1898–1981), American vaudevillian George Jessel (jurist) (1824–1883), British jurist Herbert Jessel, 1st Baron Jessel…

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Jessel

As a girl name

Jessel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1991, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2004, when 12 Jessels were born — ranking #8,716 that year. As of 2026, Jessel ranks #15,899 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 174 Jessels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Jessel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1927, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1927, when 5 Jessels were born — ranking #4,210 that year. As of 2026, Jessel ranks #3,799 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 10 Jessels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Jessel

Phonetically similar names — useful when Jessel 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 Jessel

What does the name Jessel mean?
Jessel or Jessell is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:Sir Charles Jessel, (1860–1928), baronet, British barrister, magistrate and businessman Jesselton, now Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia David Jessel, British journalist George Jessel: George Jessel (actor) (1898–1981), American vaudevillian George Jessel (jurist) (1824–1883), British jurist Herbert Jessel, 1st Baron Jessel…
How popular is Jessel in 2026?
In 2026, Jessel ranks #15,899 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Jessel most popular?
Jessel reached its peak popularity in 2004, ranking #8,716 that year with 12 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Jessel most popular?
Jessel has historically been most popular in California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Jessel.
Is Jessel a unisex name?
Yes — Jessel is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 95% of Jessels assigned female and 5% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Jessel?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Jessel include Laetitia, Sidonie, Trichelle. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Jessel

Jessel is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1991 and has accumulated 174 births in the dataset. Jessel's peak popularity came in 2004 when it ranked #8,716. Use the chart and map above to compare Jessel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.