as a First Name
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).
| 233rd in the U.S. for 2011 |
Nicknames & variations
Quick facts
- Hundreds of thousands
- of people in the U.S have this name
- 260,724
- to be exact (as of February 2011)
- 388,200
- if you include dead people (since the government started keeping track)
- South Dakota
- has the most people named Jesse per capita
- 1981
- marked the height of its popularity
2%
98%
16%
55+
55+
29%
30-54
30-54
31%
13-29
13-29
24%
0-12
0-12
Top state populations
U.S. Distribution Map
