Nameling

Jesse

Gender
Boy
Say it
JES-ee
Origin
Hebrew
UK rank, 2025
#53 for boys
US rank, 2025
#184 for boys

Vintage revival

Jesse is a boys' name of Hebrew origin. In 2025 it ranked 53rd for boys in the UK (1,022 babies) and 184th for boys in the US (2,002 babies).

What does Jesse mean?

Hebrew

In the Bible, Jesse of Bethlehem is the father of King David; the Tree of Jesse depicts Jesus's ancestry.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Jesse a girl's or a boy's name?

Jesse is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 9 girls and 1,022 boys in the UK and 72 girls and 2,002 boys in the US.

How popular is Jesse in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#53among boys
Babies in 2025
1,022about 1 in 290 boys
Five-year trend
Steadyup 13% in five years
Same name in a class
4.7%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 1,022 boys in the UK were named Jesse, making it the 53rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 72nd. 9 girls were also named Jesse in 2025 (2,856th for girls).

It has been given to more boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had the most boys named Jesse of any year since the records began in 1996.

Half of all the boys named Jesse in the UK since 1996 were born between 2013 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.

Among boys in 2025, it was 51st in England and Wales, 226th in Scotland and 99th in Northern Ireland.

In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#100) and 2024 (#54).

1996Busiest: 1,022 in 20252025
Jesse in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
20251,022#53
20241,012#56
2023951#62
2022925#70
2021954#70
2020868#72
2019884#75
2018885#82
2017777#96
2016747#101
2015587#120
2014561#124
2013427#157
2012286#217
2011315#197
2010293#204
2009238#223
2008236#221
2007285#191
2006208#223
2005182#224
2004136#273
2003109#304
2002102#301
2001105#300
2000135#240
1999136#252
1998146#242
1997215#179
1996162#216

How popular is Jesse in the US?

Rank in 2025
#184among boys
Babies in 2025
2,002about 1 in 850 boys
Five-year trend
Steadydown 3% in five years
Same name in a class
1.6%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 2,002 boys in the US were named Jesse, making it the 184th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 203rd. Its busiest year was 1981, with 10,443 boys. 72 girls were also named Jesse in 2025 (2,458th for girls).

2025 had more boys named Jesse than any year since 2018.

Half of all the boys named Jesse in the US since 1880 were born between 1953 and 1995, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 2,170 boys in the US were given Jesse or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #186.

1880Busiest: 10,443 in 19812025
Jesse in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
20252,002#184
20241,996#185
20231,828#202
20221,979#192
20211,908#203
20201,887#203
20191,979#200
20182,146#186
20172,106#186
20162,310#174
20152,357#178
20142,469#172
20132,571#156
20122,712#150
20112,973#140
20103,280#124
20093,688#112
20083,954#110
20074,130#107
20064,370#102
20054,746#89
20044,761#94
20034,606#94
20024,431#90
20014,222#91
20004,485#90
19995,004#82
19985,444#70
19975,920#63
19967,075#51
19957,495#46
19948,683#45
19938,263#48
19928,563#50
19918,367#51
19908,977#48
19898,853#50
19887,914#55
19877,982#55
19868,542#48
19858,221#51
19847,606#50
19838,469#46
19829,504#43
198110,443#37
19808,374#45
19796,679#50
19786,107#51
19775,823#54
19765,300#55
19754,435#64
19744,105#67
19733,442#75
19723,226#88
19713,001#107
19702,768#119
19692,377#128
19682,147#135
19672,186#135
19662,316#132
19652,212#139
19642,185#151
19632,229#149
19622,273#149
19612,306#150
19602,374#150
19592,440#142
19582,490#141
19572,737#133
19562,626#126
19552,786#122
19542,760#119
19532,818#114
19522,721#112
19512,670#115
19502,607#114
19492,704#110
19482,705#108
19472,751#107
19462,468#109
19452,186#104
19442,310#103
19432,427#105
19422,396#100
19412,184#99
19402,205#93
19392,010#99
19381,912#107
19371,866#102
19361,827#104
19351,865#104
19341,853#102
19331,804#100
19321,863#99
19311,895#97
19302,035#94
19292,030#93
19282,171#91
19272,318#89
19262,298#87
19252,373#85
19242,292#86
19232,387#83
19222,395#81
19212,486#77
19202,420#79
19192,356#77
19182,433#78
19172,200#79
19162,230#77
19152,111#77
19141,457#82
19131,214#79
19121,106#74
1911596#72
1910590#60
1909517#59
1908482#62
1907466#63
1906436#57
1905443#54
1904443#53
1903388#57
1902437#50
1901411#49
1900536#50
1899423#47
1898476#47
1897529#38
1896586#35
1895577#35
1894567#38
1893541#36
1892602#35
1891519#35
1890576#33
1889576#31
1888637#32
1887601#26
1886614#29
1885556#31
1884670#27
1883584#28
1882660#26
1881536#27
1880569#28

Nicknames for Jesse

Names like Jesse

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Reuben Hugo Jasper Jacob Isaac Caleb Vinnie Felix Elias Otis Austin Elijah

Other spellings of Jesse

Jessie Jessi Jessy Jese Jessey

Names related to Jesse

Jesus Jessiah Jess Jessee

More Hebrew names

Noah Isabella James Jack Mia Ava Jude Ezra Benjamin Ethan Daniel Samuel Mateo Elsie Levi Eliana

Every Hebrew name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Jesse: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/jesse, updated 20 October 2026.