Jesse Name Meaning

The name Jesse is of Hebrew origin and it means “God exists.” It’s also associated with the Hebrew name “Yishai,” which means “gift.”

History of the Name Jesse

The name Jesse is most famously associated with the biblical figure of the same name, who was the father of King David in the Old Testament. Jesse was a farmer and a descendant of the tribe of Judah. He is also a minor prophet in the Bible, with the Book of Isaiah mentioning a “root of Jesse” as a symbol of the coming savior.

The Popularity of Jesse

The name Jesse has seen a steady decline in popularity over the years. In the United States, it was a top 100 name for most of the 20th century, reaching its peak popularity in the 1890s, when it was the 31st most popular name for boys.

In recent years, it has not been a particularly popular name, falling out of the top 1000 names in the United States. In 2020, Jesse was the 1212th most popular boy’s name in the United States.

In more recent history, the name Jesse has been borne by many notable figures, such as:

  • Jesse James, the American outlaw who was the leader of the James-Younger Gang.
  • Jesse Owens, the American track and field athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
  • Jesse Jackson, an American civil rights activist and Baptist minister who was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988.

Final Thoughts on the Name Jesse

Jesse may not be the most trendy name, but it has a rich history and a meaningful origin. It’s a classic name that has stood the test of time and has been borne by many notable figures throughout history. And with its biblical connections and Hebrew meaning of “God exists”, it’s a name that carries a sense of reverence and spirituality. Even though it’s not as popular as it used to be, it’s still a name that’s chosen by many parents.

Overall, Jesse is a solid choice for parents looking for a timeless, traditional name with a strong meaning. And if you’re a fan of the whole “God exists” thing, then this might just be the perfect name for you.

Infographic of Jesse name meaning, which is A Biblical name of Hebrew origins, Jesse means gift.
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Jesse Name Popularity

How popular is the name Jesse? Here’s everything we know.

Year Rank # Births % Births
1910 60 544 0.1545%
1911 73 558 0.1498%
1912 74 1,071 0.2124%
1913 79 1,180 0.2081%
1914 84 1,423 0.2042%
1915 77 2,091 0.2301%
1916 77 2,204 0.2282%
1917 79 2,186 0.2185%
1918 79 2,417 0.2252%
1919 77 2,335 0.223%
1920 79 2,397 0.2156%
1921 77 2,465 0.2153%
1922 81 2,382 0.2138%
1923 83 2,370 0.2116%
1924 87 2,269 0.1954%
1925 85 2,356 0.2084%
1926 87 2,271 0.2065%
1927 89 2,299 0.2077%
1928 92 2,141 0.2001%
1929 94 2,007 0.1938%
1930 95 2,006 0.192%
1931 97 1,882 0.1907%
1932 99 1,835 0.1857%
1933 101 1,770 0.19%
1934 101 1,835 0.1898%
1935 104 1,830 0.1883%
1936 105 1,795 0.1863%
1937 102 1,837 0.1864%
1938 107 1,888 0.1844%
1939 98 1,986 0.1952%
1940 93 2,187 0.2058%
1941 99 2,163 0.1922%
1942 100 2,363 0.1871%
1943 105 2,404 0.1841%
1944 104 2,281 0.184%
1945 108 2,150 0.1763%
1946 108 2,451 0.1661%
1947 107 2,731 0.1636%
1948 108 2,683 0.1681%
1949 110 2,680 0.1666%
1950 114 2,591 0.1609%
1951 114 2,651 0.1564%
1952 112 2,711 0.1553%
1953 115 2,798 0.1581%
1954 119 2,742 0.15%
1955 122 2,761 0.1501%
1956 126 2,612 0.1383%
1957 133 2,713 0.141%
1958 142 2,472 0.1308%
1959 143 2,408 0.1267%
1960 150 2,355 0.1243%
1961 150 2,291 0.1213%
1962 149 2,265 0.1234%
1963 148 2,216 0.1235%
1964 150 2,174 0.1235%
1965 139 2,202 0.1347%
1966 131 2,305 0.1476%
1967 135 2,177 0.1435%
1968 134 2,131 0.1419%
1969 128 2,372 0.154%
1970 119 2,770 0.1741%
1971 106 3,005 0.2%
1972 88 3,227 0.2369%
1973 75 3,448 0.266%
1974 67 4,105 0.3158%
1975 64 4,435 0.3451%
1976 55 5,304 0.4115%
1977 55 5,820 0.4318%
1978 51 6,109 0.4544%
1979 50 6,685 0.4741%
1980 45 8,381 0.5732%
1981 37 10,451 0.711%
1982 43 9,505 0.6361%
1983 46 8,468 0.5738%
1984 50 7,606 0.5113%
1985 51 8,217 0.5414%
1986 48 8,541 0.5658%
1987 55 7,981 0.523%
1988 55 7,908 0.5075%
1989 50 8,855 0.5487%
1990 48 8,982 0.5419%
1991 51 8,365 0.5132%
1992 50 8,560 0.5363%
1993 48 8,262 0.5299%
1994 45 8,682 0.5657%
1995 46 7,493 0.4972%
1996 51 7,075 0.4725%
1997 63 5,917 0.4001%
1998 70 5,440 0.3635%
1999 82 5,003 0.3341%
2000 90 4,483 0.2935%
2001 90 4,216 0.2798%
2002 90 4,430 0.2956%
2003 94 4,595 0.302%
2004 94 4,752 0.3118%
2005 89 4,744 0.3103%
2006 102 4,365 0.2788%
2007 107 4,122 0.2613%
2008 110 3,945 0.2552%
2009 112 3,673 0.2457%
2010 124 3,270 0.2269%
2011 141 2,951 0.2071%
2012 151 2,681 0.1881%
2013 157 2,549 0.179%
2014 173 2,437 0.1673%
2015 178 2,332 0.1603%
2016 175 2,282 0.1583%
2017 186 2,066 0.148%
2018 187 2,104 0.1531%
2019 200 1,927 0.1423%
2020 201 1,834 0.1441%
2021 202 1,862 0.1523%
2022 193 1,941 0.1471%

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Data via SSA.gov.

Names Like Jesse

If you like Jesse, you’ll love these other names like Jesse.

What names are diminutives of Jesse?

A diminutive is a name that’s like Jesse sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Jesse, but shorter.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Jess

The Lord exists

Hebrew

What names are variants of Jesse?

Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Jesse.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Jesiah

The Lord exists

Hebrew

Jess

The Lord exists

Hebrew

Jessey

The Lord exists

Hebrew

Jessie

The Lord exists

Hebrew

Jessy

The Lord exists

Hebrew

Yishai

The Lord exists

Hebrew

What names sound like Jesse?

If you like how Jesse sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Jesse.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Jase

To heal

American

Joss

A member of the Germanic tribe, the Gauts

German

Josue

God is salvation

Spanish

What names are similar to Jesse?

Find a name that’s like Jesse, but just a little bit different.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Jessamine

English

Lists With Jesse

Find inspiration in these baby boy name lists featuring the name Jesse.

Siblings of Jesse

Mamas with kids named Jesse also have kids with these names.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Evelyn

Desired one

English

Samuel

Name of God

Hebrew

Preston

Priest's town

English

Sierra

Saw

Spanish

16 Comments

  1. We weren’t finding out of it was a boy or girl. We had a boy name in mind, it never officially decided. After we had our son, we were thinking of names and one of us randomly said Jesse. We thought it fit him more than the other boy name we had been considering. We researched the name and loved the Biblical meanings of it. We also liked Mama Natural’s description and meaning of Jesse on the website. We love the Biblical roots for the name as well. At first it felt weird calling him Jesse, but I think that’s because he was his own person now to be referred to!

    Reply

  2. I chose his name after I had an ectopic pregnancy because of the meaning of the name Jesse. It means God’s promise/ The Lord exists! After suffering multiple losses I had a vision from God of a little red haired blue eyed boy growing up. Then I heard the voice of God tell me I would have a boy in His timing. A year later I found out I was pregnant 12 weeks into my pregnancy I found out he was a boy! So I chose the name Jesse to honor God’s promise to me. Also when he was born and even now he has red hair and blue eyes! Everything I was promised came true!

    Reply

  3. Jesse is the name of my husband’s grandpa who we love and wanted to name our baby after. I like that the name means “The Lord Exists” in Hebrew and has a biblical connection to the tribe of Judah. I also love the sound of it, how soft and gentle yet masculine it is.

    Reply

    • I love the name jesse

      Reply

  4. My late sister’s name was Jessica, I thought it was a great way to honour her. Jesse was almost Ian, because of my other sister that was also pregnant, after a strange turn of events, she went with Blaine instead. Blaine and Jesse are best friends! We wanted to save Ian for another kid so Jesse’s middle name is Robert after my father. We starting trying again right after Jesse was born. And almost exactly 10 months later we had Ian Zachary!

    Reply

  5. Love this name for a boy! We have a 3yo son named Uriah, and wanted to keep the Biblical boys name theme going with our next son. We were looking for Biblical boy names that sounded strong and were also not overly common. We also love that Jesse sounds strong and means “God’s gift” or “The Lord exists.” Both beautiful truths to think on when we think about our sweet son!

    Reply

  6. I choosed to give him a the name Jesse because of the circumstances surrounding his birth. He came like a king. Everything about his birth was different

    Reply

  7. I’ve always loved the name.

    Reply

  8. We picked this name because it means Gift. When we first found out about our little one we were very thankful. It was also a name we had picked out for a long time because we both enjoyed the name. It is a gender neutral name that could be used on our first born. Jessie for a girl or Jesse for a boy.

    Reply

  9. It had significance for our family. But after telling a few people about it, I learned that Jesse means “gift.” And I like the connotation that Jesse was the father of King David. The biblical name with a foundational context was really appealing.

    Reply

  10. My husband is Jewish English and therefore we chose a biblical name Jesse. Jesse was the father of David in the bible and in the hebrew it means God’s gift and miracle .

    What I like aboit the name is its short and easy to spell for most people. Also it’s fitting for our last name.

    Reply

  11. He got his name from his grandpas , I love the name Jesse it’s very manly and perfect for my lil boy.

    Reply

  12. A blessing

    Reply

  13. We chose it because It is a family name !

    Reply

    • Jesse is the best name ever. My mom gifted it to me! I am not rich but i sure am wealthy!

      Reply

  14. Named after his late gpa in besides he looks like a jesse I love it…

    Reply

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