Jesse
Boy nameJesse has been given to 444,920 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1981 and currently ranks #184 for boys (2025).
Meaning & origin /ˈd͡ʒɛs.i/
From Ancient Greek Ἰεσσαί (Iessaí), from Hebrew יִשַׁי (Yishai).
Origin: Hebrew
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
444,920
Peak year
1981 (10,823 babies)
Rank in 2025
#184 for boys
First recorded
1880
10-year trend
▼ -14%
Gender split
3% girls / 97% boys
Famous people named Jesse
Jesse Owens
American track and field athlete (1913–1980)
Jesse Jackson
American Baptist minister, activist, civil rights leader, politician, and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition (1941–20
Jesse Eisenberg
American actor
Jesse Lingard
English footballer (born 1992)
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Jesse.
Get new name insights first
Occasional updates when we add new data & tools. No spam, unsubscribe anytime by replying to any email or writing to hello@zalize.com.
By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy. We store only your email address and the date you signed up.