Boy · Hebrew
Jesse
Say it: JES-ee
Meaning
Hebrew Yishai, of uncertain meaning; 'gift' and 'YHWH exists' have both been proposed.
Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.
A Puritan name that has stayed in steady use in the United States.
Its wave through time
Timeless: in steady use for over a century
In the United States
- 434,769 babies given this name since 1880
- At its height in 1981, about 1 in 171 boys
- 1,922 babies in 2020
Through the ages
- The Biblical WorldAbout 1200 BC to AD 100
- The Colonial Americas1500 to 1800
- Victorian and Belle Époque1837 to 1914
- The Modern Age1880 to today
Used by
The family of the name
| French | Jessé |
|---|---|
| Spanish | Isaí |
| Italian | Iesse |
| Portuguese | Jessé |
| German | Isai |
| Dutch | Jesse |
| Hebrew | Yishai |
Famous bearers
- Jesse, father of King David
- Jesse Owens, American athlete
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- The Hebrew Bible and the New Testament
- Puritan church and town records of England and New England
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.