Jesse is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Jesse means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Jesse across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Jesse has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Jesse is a boy name of Hebrew origin meaning “gift, the Lord exists”. the father of King David.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 444,920 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 12,940 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 169 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 228 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 669 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 3,965 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Jesse per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1981 (10,823/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2025 (989/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2022 (42/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2022 (26/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2024 (23/yr).
Jesse has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1981, when it ranked #66 nationally (given to 10,823 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1980s.
Jessie · Jase · Josie · Josue · Jess · Jessi · Jessa · Jessy
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