Jesse

“From Hebrew Yishai — a biblical name of unestablished meaning; father of King David” — Hebrew origin

Boy's name · #184 in the US (2025) · Timeless

Jesse holds its lane: charted since 1880 and rarely far from where it stands today (#184 in 2025). About 432,000 boys have carried it along the way. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records. Jess is a short form of Jesse.

Around the world: #38 in Netherlands (2025) · #51 in England & Wales (2025) · #100 in N. Ireland (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 50 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Jesses

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 (1941–2026)
Jesse Eisenberg — American actor
Jesse Lingard — English footballer (born 1992)
Jesse James — American outlaw, confederate guerrilla, and train robber

In stories & tradition

Jesse — Book of Ruth · First Book of Samuel
Jesse Pinkman — Breaking Bad · El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
Jesse Stone — Jesse Stone

What Jesses become

Among 1,712 notable people named Jesse:

Sports figures appear 1.61× more often than among typical names — e.g. Jesse Owens, American track and field athlete (1913–1980).

Similar names: Sam · Jessie · Chase · Joel · Jeremy · Johnny

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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