JESSE TREADWELL

Meaning ‘gift’ in Hebrew; it is borne by the father of King David (1 Samuel 16), from whose line (according to the New Testament) Jesus was ultimately descended. It was popular among the Puritans, and is still used frequently in the United States, less so in Britain. As a girl's name it is a respelling of Jessie. Notable American bearers have included the outlaw Jesse James (1847–82), the athlete Jesse Owens (1913–80), and the politician Jesse Jackson (b. 1941).

English (chiefly West Midlands): metonymic occupational name for a fuller, from Middle English tred(en) ‘to tread’ + well ‘well’. Fulling was the process by which newly woven cloth was cleaned and shrunk by the use of heat, water, and pressure (from treading) before finally being stretched and laid out to dry on tenter hooks.