Jesse
How to say it: JESS-ee · /ˈdʒɛsi/
Gift or God exists; from the Hebrew 'Yishai', father of King David in the Bible.
Jesse was the 196th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 2,002 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1880s, its births are down about 15% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #202 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #196 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 2,002 |
| Share of births | 1 in 1,656 |
| Peak decade | 1880s |
| Change over 10 years | −15% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #202 |
| In France, 2025 | #1,330 among boys’ names, 15 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Long past its 1880s high, Jesse now sits far below that peak. The next few years are expected to see it fade further.
What goes with it
Quiet and breathy with a biblical character, Jesse sounds gentle. Samuel and Caleb share its style.
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Jesse is about 1 in 69.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Norwegian, Swedish.
In France: #1,330 for boys in 2025.
England and Wales: #51. Ireland: #143.
Famous people named Jesse
- Jesse Eisenberg (born 1983)American actor
- Jesse Owens (1913–1980)American track and field athlete
- Jesse Lingard (born 1992)English footballer
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
Good to know
- Jesse Pinkman, Breaking Bad co-lead
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