Jesse Boy

Popularity: #181 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: JES-ee //ˈdʒɛsi//

Origin: Hebrew; English

Meaning: Hebrew: 'God is my salvation'; English: diminutive of Jesse

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Jesse has its roots in the Hebrew name יִשַׁי (Yishai), which is derived from the Hebrew word "yishai," meaning "gift" or "God's gift." This name appears in the Old Testament of the Bible, where Jesse is notably recognized as the father of King David, a significant figure in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions. The name was transliterated into Greek as Ἰεσσαί (Iessai) in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, and later into Latin as Iessus, which eventually influenced its adoption into Old French as Jessé before entering the English language in the medieval period.

Historically, Jesse's prominence is anchored in biblical narratives, particularly in the context of the lineage of David, which is crucial to the genealogies presented in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The name is also referenced in the prophetic writings of Isaiah, where it is used to symbolize the root of Jesse, a metaphor for the coming of the Messiah.

This biblical significance has contributed to the name's endurance through centuries, as it has been borne by various saints and figures in Christian history. Culturally, Jesse has been associated with themes of leadership, divine favor, and familial legacy, reflecting the importance of lineage in biblical texts.

The name has also been embraced in various artistic and literary works, reinforcing its resonance in Western culture. Additionally, diminutive forms such as Jess or Jessie have emerged, often used affectionately or informally, although the name Jesse itself remains the most recognized form.

Overall, the historical and cultural significance of Jesse underscores its lasting impact across different eras and traditions.

Famous people named Jesse

In this section, you will find notable people named Jesse. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Jesse who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Jesse who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Jesse Owens is an athlete best known for winning four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Jesse Jackson is a civil rights activist best known for founding the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and running for U.S. President.

Jesse Metcalfe is an actor best known for Desperate Housewives, John Tucker Must Die, and Chesapeake Shores.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson is an actor best known for Modern Family, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Uncoupled.

Jesse L. Martin is an actor best known for Law & Order, Rent, and The Flash.

Jesse Plemons is an actor best known for Friday Night Lights, Fargo, and Breaking Bad.

Jesse McCartney is a singer and actor best known for Beautiful Soul, and his roles in Young Justice and Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Jesse James is a television personality and entrepreneur best known for Monster Garage and West Coast Choppers.

Jesse Ventura is a former professional wrestler and actor best known for Predator and Running Man.

Fictional characters named Jesse

The following list of fictional characters named Jesse 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.

Jesse Pinkman is a fictional character from the TV series Breaking Bad. He is a former student of Walter White who becomes his partner in the methamphetamine business.

Jesse McCartney is a fictional character from the animated series Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal. He is a skilled duelist and a member of the main cast who helps the protagonist in their battles.

Sibling suggestions

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

JacobJamesJoshuaJordanJaredJulian

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Jesse. 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.

JaxonJettJaceJadenJasperJonahJulioJulius

U.S. Historical Usage

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

Jesse has ranked as high as #66 nationally, which occurred in 1981, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina.

In the past 5 years the name Jesse has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Jesse 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 Jesse 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 Jesse.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 2,074 2,002 72
2024 2,069 1,996 73
2023 1,900 1,828 72
2022 2,031 1,979 52
2021 1,977 1,908 69
2020 1,952 1,887 65
2019 2,038 1,979 59
2018 2,228 2,146 82
2017 2,182 2,106 76
2016 2,377 2,310 67
2015 2,424 2,357 67
2014 2,542 2,469 73
2013 2,641 2,571 70
2012 2,792 2,712 80
2011 3,054 2,973 81
2010 3,388 3,280 108
2009 3,796 3,688 108
2008 4,074 3,954 120
2007 4,247 4,130 117
2006 4,492 4,370 122
2005 4,919 4,746 173
2004 4,942 4,761 181
2003 4,778 4,606 172
2002 4,621 4,431 190
2001 4,417 4,222 195
2000 4,767 4,485 282
1999 5,359 5,004 355
1998 5,715 5,444 271
1997 6,183 5,920 263
1996 7,364 7,075 289
1995 7,862 7,495 367
1994 9,040 8,683 357
1993 8,599 8,263 336
1992 8,875 8,563 312
1991 8,705 8,367 338
1990 9,324 8,977 347
1989 9,167 8,853 314
1988 8,232 7,914 318
1987 8,304 7,982 322
1986 8,895 8,542 353
1985 8,500 8,221 279
1984 7,893 7,606 287
1983 8,726 8,469 257
1982 9,812 9,504 308
1981 10,823 10,443 380
1980 8,667 8,374 293
1979 6,906 6,679 227
1978 6,298 6,107 191
1977 5,986 5,823 163
1976 5,436 5,300 136
1975 4,552 4,435 117
1974 4,188 4,105 83
1973 3,503 3,442 61
1972 3,278 3,226 52
1971 3,052 3,001 51
1970 2,820 2,768 52
1969 2,428 2,377 51
1968 2,175 2,147 28
1967 2,216 2,186 30
1966 2,355 2,316 39
1965 2,234 2,212 22
1964 2,215 2,185 30
1963 2,260 2,229 31
1962 2,302 2,273 29
1961 2,342 2,306 36
1960 2,408 2,374 34
1959 2,455 2,440 15
1958 2,511 2,490 21
1957 2,762 2,737 25
1956 2,651 2,626 25
1955 2,812 2,786 26
1954 2,785 2,760 25
1953 2,846 2,818 28
1952 2,757 2,721 36
1951 2,707 2,670 37
1950 2,635 2,607 28
1949 2,724 2,704 20
1948 2,726 2,705 21
1947 2,778 2,751 27
1946 2,482 2,468 14
1945 2,207 2,186 21
1944 2,332 2,310 22
1943 2,451 2,427 24
1942 2,420 2,396 24
1941 2,201 2,184 17
1940 2,230 2,205 25
1939 2,037 2,010 27
1938 1,941 1,912 29
1937 1,885 1,866 19
1936 1,846 1,827 19
1935 1,894 1,865 29
1934 1,876 1,853 23
1933 1,828 1,804 24
1932 1,894 1,863 31
1931 1,930 1,895 35
1930 2,063 2,035 28
1929 2,072 2,030 42
1928 2,212 2,171 41
1927 2,363 2,318 45
1926 2,351 2,298 53
1925 2,425 2,373 52
1924 2,347 2,292 55
1923 2,423 2,387 36
1922 2,430 2,395 35
1921 2,531 2,486 45
1920 2,456 2,420 36
1919 2,404 2,356 48
1918 2,489 2,433 56
1917 2,225 2,200 25
1916 2,261 2,230 31
1915 2,154 2,111 43
1914 1,483 1,457 26
1913 1,245 1,214 31
1912 1,133 1,106 27
1911 612 596 16
1910 601 590 11
1909 535 517 18
1908 490 482 8
1907 476 466 10
1906 451 436 15
1905 466 443 23
1904 455 443 12
1903 404 388 16
1902 452 437 15
1901 424 411 13
1900 546 536 10
1899 440 423 17
1898 491 476 15
1897 539 529 10
1896 601 586 15
1895 588 577 11
1894 578 567 11
1893 553 541 12
1892 616 602 14
1891 530 519 11
1890 586 576 10
1889 590 576 14
1888 649 637 12
1887 611 601 10
1886 620 614 6
1885 571 556 15
1884 684 670 14
1883 590 584 6
1882 665 660 5
1881 541 536 5
1880 574 569 5

Top States for Jesse (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
TX 275
14%
CA 270
14%
NY 93
5%
FL 85
4%
OH 83
4%
PA 73
4%
NC 70
4%
GA 66
3%
WA 55
3%
IL 54
3%
UT 50
3%
TN 49
2%
AZ 49
2%
VA 45
2%
MO 44
2%
CO 41
2%
MI 41
2%
NJ 39
2%
KY 38
2%
IN 38
2%
SC 35
2%
OK 31
2%
OR 29
1%
AL 29
1%
MD 27
1%
LA 26
1%
WI 25
1%
MA 23
1%
KS 22
1%
AR 21
1%
NE 20
1%
NV 20
1%
MN 13
1%
MS 13
1%
WV 12
1%
ID 12
1%
IA 11
1%
MT 10
1%
CT 10
1%
AK 9
0%
NH 7
0%
NM 7
0%
HI 6
0%
ND 6
0%
SD 6
0%