Given name & surname
Jesse
“gift”·“God exists; a gift from God; God sees all”
Jesse is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “gift” (Hebrew) and “God exists; a gift from God; God sees all” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Original Hebrewישי
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “gift” (Hebrew) and “God exists; a gift from God; God sees all” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
From Ancient Greek Ἰεσσαί, from Hebrew יִשַׁי (Yishai).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Jesse is a diminutive of Jessica. The history of Jessica gives this family its wider story. Jessica is Shylock’s daughter in The Merchant of Venice. Shakespeare’s immediate inspiration is unknown, but the biblical spelling Jesca—corresponding to Iscah in Genesis 11:29—has been proposed as a starting point.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Jesse appears in 1 Samuel 16:10-13, 1 Chronicles 2:15, 2 Samuel 17:25 and 2 other passages.
- 1 Samuel 16:10-13
- 1 Chronicles 2:15
- 2 Samuel 17:25
- Isaiah 11:1
- Isaiah 11:10
From biblical name research
Jesse through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 444,920
- 432,428 boys · 12,492 girls
- Most popular year
- 1981
- 10,823 babies
- 2025
- 2,074
- #184 for boys · #2,471 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −7%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 2,002 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 184 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 6.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 10,443 in 1981. It also appeared in 72 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (249). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 293,709 as a first name in 2020; 3,442 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Jesse’s family of names
In English usage, Jesse is a diminutive of Jessica. In English usage, Jesse has a related form in Jessie. Jesse has a related form in Jessica.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Jesse has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
6 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 17
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 7
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 10
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
- Josiahshares a root
- Loisshares a root
- Ishvishares a root
- Enoshshares a root
- Ishishares a root
- Eshbaalshares a root
- Isshiahshares a root
- Ishhodshares a root
Show 2 moreShow fewer
People named Jesse
- Jesse OwensAmerican track and field athlete (1913–1980)
- Jesse JacksonAmerican Baptist minister, activist, civil rights leader, politician, and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition (1941–2026)
- Jesse EisenbergAmerican actorborn 1983
- Jesse LingardEnglish footballer (born 1992)
- Jesse JamesAmerican outlaw, confederate guerrilla, and train robber1847–1882
- Jesse McCartneyAmerican singer and actorborn 1987
- Jesse SpencerAustralian actor and musicianborn 1979
- Jesse PlemonsAmerican actor (born 1988)
- Jesse DouglasAmerican mathematician (1897–1965)
Characters named Jesse: Jesse Pinkman (Breaking Bad), Jesse Stone (fictional human).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Jesse, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Samuel
“God has heard” · “asked of God”
>99% boys
Daniel
“God is my judge”
>99% boys
Jason
“I heal”
>99% boys
Joseph
“God shall add”
>99% boys
Aaron
“Exalted” · “mountain of strength”
>99% boys
Matthew
“gift of God” · “a gift from God”
>99% boys
Jeremy
“one who is exalted by the Lord” · “appointed by God”
>99% boys
Benjamin
“son of the right hand” · “son of the south”
>99% boys