Given name & surname
Jessie
“gift”·“God exists; a gift from God; God sees all”·“The Lord sees all”
In English use, Jessie has a related form in Jesse. Interpretations include “gift” (Hebrew) and “God exists; a gift from God; God sees all” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions. Jessie is a short form of Jessica. One Hebrew interpretation is “The Lord sees all.” Its derivation is not certain.
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Jessie has a related form in Jesse. Interpretations include “gift” (Hebrew) and “God exists; a gift from God; God sees all” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions. Jessie is a short form of Jessica. One Hebrew interpretation is “The Lord sees all.” Its derivation is not certain. In Scottish and English use, Jessie is an affectionate form of Jean. In French use, Jean carries the interpretation “God is gracious.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Jessie has a related form in Jesse. An origin associated with Jesse is Hebrew. Jessie is a short form of Jessica. A possible origin is Hebrew, although the derivation remains uncertain.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In French usage, Jessie is a diminutive of Jessica.
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. Jessie is a short form 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
Jessie through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 281,367
- 111,331 boys · 170,036 girls
- Most popular year
- 1918
- 5,003 babies
- 2025
- 456
- #824 for girls · #1,431 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −21%
- Easing
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 31% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 330 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 824 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 19.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 3,591 in 1918. It also appeared in 126 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (50). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 104,536 as a first name in 2020; 3,564 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.
Jessie’s family of names
In French usage, Jessie is a diminutive of Jessica. In English usage, Jessie shares an earlier linguistic root with Janet. In English usage, Jessie has a related form in Jesse.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Jessie has relatives in 5 languages.
24 related names in 5 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 24
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Jennadoublet · English
- Janelledoublet · English
- Jennydoublet · English
- Ivankadoublet · English
- Jeanettedoublet · English
- Juanitadoublet · English
- Janetdoublet · English
- Vannadoublet · English
Show 16 moreShow fewer
- Jodydoublet · English
- Jandoublet · English
- Jessyequivalent
- Janeydoublet · English
- Jodoublet · English
- Jeannettedoublet · English
- Janinedoublet · English
- Jeaniedoublet · English
- Sineaddoublet · English
- Jeanninedoublet · English
- Shanaedoublet · English
- Jendoublet · English
- Jessyeequivalent
- Seasaidhborrowing · Scottish Gaelic
- Ἰεσσαίroot · Ancient Greek
- جِيسِيArabic
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Jessie
- Jessie JEnglish singer (born 1988)
- Jessie BuckleyIrish actress and singer (born 1989)
- Jessie WareBritish singerborn 1984
- Jessie DigginsUS-American cross-country skierborn 1991
- Jessie FlemingCanadian soccer playerborn 1998
- Jessie CaveBritish actressborn 1987
- Jessie T. UsherAmerican actorborn 1992
- Jessie ReyezCanadian singer-songwriterborn 1991
- Jessie James DeckerAmerican singer and songwriterborn 1988
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Jessie, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Sidney
“from the wide meadow”
49% boys · 51% girls
Marcelle
“the little warrior” · “dedicated to Mars, the god of war”
26% boys · 74% girls
Victory
Victory is a surname.
25% boys · 75% girls
Marion
“a manly man”
34% boys · 66% girls
Garnet
“resembling the dark-red gem”
33% boys · 67% girls
Carmel
“garden” · “of the fruitful orchard”
28% boys · 72% girls
Elzie
“from the nobleman's estate”
19% boys · 81% girls
Cordie
“a good-hearted woman; a woman of honesty”
7% boys · 93% girls