The first name Jesse
A boy’s name from Hebrew.
Pronounced /ˈd͡ʒɛs.i/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Hebrew origin
From Ancient Greek Ἰεσσαί (Iessaí), from Hebrew יִשַׁי (Yishai).
A form of Jessie.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 980 boys were named Jesse, making it the 51st most popular boys’ name.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Jesse with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Jesse at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 2,002 boys born in the United States were named Jesse, the 184th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1981, when 10,443 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Jesse in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Jesse in Finnish and Polish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Jesse
127 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Jesse OwensAmerican track and field athlete (1913–1980)
- Jesse JacksonAmerican Baptist minister, activist, civil rights leader, politician, and founder of the R, 1941–2026
- Jesse EisenbergAmerican actor, born 1983
- Jesse JamesAmerican outlaw, confederate guerrilla, and train robber, 1847–1882
- Jesse LingardEnglish footballer (born 1992)
- Jesse McCartneyAmerican singer and actor, born 1987
- Jesse SpencerAustralian actor and musician, born 1979
- Jesse JaneAmerican pornographic actress (1980–2024)
- Jesse PlemonsAmerican actor (born 1988)
- Jesse DouglasAmerican mathematician (1897–1965)
- Jesse MetcalfeAmerican actor, born 1978
- Jesse Tyler FergusonAmerican actor, born 1975
More Hebrew boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Jesse mean?
- From Ancient Greek Ἰεσσαί (Iessaí), from Hebrew יִשַׁי (Yishai).
- What is the origin of the name Jesse?
- From Ancient Greek Ἰεσσαί (Iessaí), from Hebrew יִשַׁי (Yishai).
- How popular is the name Jesse?
- In 2025, 980 boys born in England and Wales were named Jesse, ranking 51st.
- What are nicknames for Jesse?
- Common nicknames for Jesse include Jess.
- Is Jesse a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 97% of the 444,920 US babies named Jesse since 1880 were boys.
- When was Jesse most popular?
- 1981 in the United States, when 10,443 babies were named Jesse, its highest rank at 37th.
- How do you pronounce Jesse?
- Jesse is /ˈd͡ʒɛs.i/, 2 syllables.
- What name is Jesse a form of?
- Jesse is a form of Jessie.
- What are other spellings of Jesse?
- Jessie.
- Is Jesse also a surname?
- Yes. Jesse is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.