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Jesse

“God's gift; alternatively, God exists” — Hebrew origin

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

Jesse has appeared in US records since 1880 — best rank #26 (1882) · 432,428 babies named Jesse all-time · 1 in 850 boys born in 2025.

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 1,697 notable people named Jesse:

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

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

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