Jess Boy

Popularity: #920 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: JESS /dʒɛs/

Origin: English; Hebrew

Meaning: English: God is gracious; Hebrew: He will add

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Jess is derived from the Hebrew name Yishai, which means "gift" or "God's gift." This name appears in the Old Testament, where Jesse is recognized as the father of King David, a significant figure in biblical history. The name Yishai was transliterated into Greek as Iessai and subsequently into Latin as Jesse, which then made its way into Old French as Jessé.

The transition into English occurred during the Middle Ages, particularly through the influence of biblical translations, including the Wycliffe Bible in the late 14th century and the King James Bible in the early 17th century, which helped popularize the name in English-speaking cultures. Throughout history, the name Jess has been associated with various notable figures, particularly in religious contexts.

Jesse's lineage is significant in Christian theology, as it is often linked to the prophecy of the Messiah coming from the "root of Jesse," as mentioned in the Book of Isaiah. This connection has contributed to the name's enduring presence in Christian communities.

Additionally, the name has been borne by various saints and historical figures, further embedding it in cultural and religious narratives. Culturally, the name Jess has been embraced in various forms, including diminutives such as Jesse and Jessy.

These variations have appeared in literature and folklore, reinforcing the name's significance across different cultures. The name's association with themes of divine favor and familial legacy has allowed it to resonate through generations, maintaining its relevance in both historical and cultural contexts.

Fictional characters named Jess

The following list of fictional characters named Jess is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Jess Day is a fictional character from the TV series New Girl. She is an optimistic and quirky teacher who moves in with three single men after a rough breakup.

Jess Mariano is a fictional character from the TV series Gilmore Girls. He is a rebellious teenager who becomes romantically involved with Rory Gilmore and plays a significant role in her character development.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Jess, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

JackJadeJordanJulesJasperJenna

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Jess. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

JesseJessieJettJaceJaxJayJudeJames

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Jess was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Jess has ranked as high as #437 nationally, which occurred in 1915, and has been most popular in California, Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Jess has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Jess is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Jess was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Jess.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 28 18 10
2024 29 22 7
2023 35 25 10
2022 25 17 8
2021 31 25 6
2020 27 22 5
2019 30 23 7
2018 33 33 0
2017 27 22 5
2016 30 30 0
2015 35 35 0
2014 37 32 5
2013 35 28 7
2012 33 33 0
2011 42 37 5
2010 32 32 0
2009 45 45 0
2008 65 55 10
2007 81 66 15
2006 70 60 10
2005 87 79 8
2004 91 82 9
2003 71 65 6
2002 83 70 13
2001 92 82 10
2000 89 77 12
1999 96 96 0
1998 104 91 13
1997 123 115 8
1996 157 144 13
1995 142 136 6
1994 156 150 6
1993 161 149 12
1992 152 146 6
1991 199 183 16
1990 223 214 9
1989 184 174 10
1988 208 199 9
1987 222 216 6
1986 248 241 7
1985 270 262 8
1984 270 261 9
1983 315 306 9
1982 343 337 6
1981 277 277 0
1980 292 292 0
1979 316 306 10
1978 356 346 10
1977 311 311 0
1976 283 277 6
1975 283 283 0
1974 316 310 6
1973 283 283 0
1972 242 242 0
1971 233 233 0
1970 190 190 0
1969 189 189 0
1968 168 168 0
1967 185 185 0
1966 200 200 0
1965 188 183 5
1964 221 221 0
1963 288 288 0
1962 293 293 0
1961 299 299 0
1960 289 289 0
1959 228 228 0
1958 254 254 0
1957 272 272 0
1956 275 270 5
1955 267 267 0
1954 245 245 0
1953 238 238 0
1952 248 248 0
1951 232 232 0
1950 193 193 0
1949 235 235 0
1948 222 222 0
1947 261 261 0
1946 220 220 0
1945 167 167 0
1944 180 180 0
1943 195 190 5
1942 190 190 0
1941 163 163 0
1940 170 170 0
1939 165 165 0
1938 151 151 0
1937 156 156 0
1936 158 158 0
1935 167 167 0
1934 166 166 0
1933 178 178 0
1932 194 194 0
1931 157 157 0
1930 207 207 0
1929 224 224 0
1928 203 198 5
1927 273 268 5
1926 239 239 0
1925 274 269 5
1924 261 261 0
1923 275 275 0
1922 255 248 7
1921 343 338 5
1920 342 333 9
1919 367 355 12
1918 387 387 0
1917 352 352 0
1916 493 485 8
1915 584 577 7
1914 258 258 0
1913 180 180 0
1912 171 171 0
1911 111 106 5
1910 103 103 0
1909 87 87 0
1908 88 88 0
1907 88 88 0
1906 67 67 0
1905 85 85 0
1904 102 102 0
1903 81 81 0
1902 92 86 6
1901 85 85 0
1900 134 128 6
1899 91 86 5
1898 108 108 0
1897 116 110 6
1896 87 87 0
1895 102 102 0
1894 104 104 0
1893 107 107 0
1892 108 108 0
1891 94 87 7
1890 119 114 5
1889 121 121 0
1888 138 132 6
1887 124 124 0
1886 140 140 0
1885 124 119 5
1884 129 124 5
1883 112 112 0
1882 122 122 0
1881 85 85 0
1880 103 103 0

Top States for Jess (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 7
100%