Jesse

Jesse: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “gift”
Origin: Hebrew
Say it: JESS-ee · 2 syllables
Used for: Boys (97% of all uses)

From Hebrew Yishai, the name of King David's father in the Bible. The exact original meaning is uncertain; 'gift' is a traditional explanation.

English names Hebrew names Names meaning gift Names meaning faith Classic names Biblical names Short names

How popular is Jesse?

2024617 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Jesse in 20242,053

2024 rank#187 boys

Peak year1981

Total US babies since 1880442,811

Jesse is steady now but far below its 1981 peak.

Names like Jesse

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

JessieGod beholds · Hebrew
Isaigift · Hebrew
Jessyhe sees · Hebrew
Noahrest; comfort · Hebrew
Jamessupplanter · Hebrew
Elijahmy God is Yahweh · Hebrew
JohnYahweh is gracious · Hebrew
Michaelwho is like God? · Hebrew

Jesse questions

What does the name Jesse mean?

Jesse means "gift". It comes from Hebrew. From Hebrew Yishai, the name of King David's father in the Bible. The exact original meaning is uncertain; 'gift' is a traditional explanation.

Is Jesse a boy or girl name?

Jesse is mainly a boy's name in US records (97% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Jesse?

2,053 US babies were named Jesse in 2024. Its peak year was 1981.

How do you pronounce Jesse?

Jesse is usually pronounced JESS-ee.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.