b babynamesuggestion
Menu

Your Shortlist

0 names saved

Jesse

Quick answerJesse derives from the Hebrew name Yishai (יִשַׁי), meaning "gift" or "wealthy," and entered English through biblical and ecclesiastical tradition.

English · Boy · 1 syllable

J
Top 500

Popularity & facts

Relative popularity index, 2010–2025
GenderBoy
US Rank#184
TrendStable
Peak year1981
Syllables1
OriginEnglish
LanguageEnglish
CultureEnglish, Dutch, Finnish, Biblical, Portuguese, French
ReligionChristianity/Judaism
Letters5
Numerology4 Chaldean 8
Global rank#9

Popularity over time

Popularity index
Hover the line to see any year. 100 = most popular.

Historical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data

About the name Jesse

Jesse derives from the Hebrew name Yishai (יִשַׁי), meaning "gift" or "wealthy," and entered English through biblical and ecclesiastical tradition.

Cross-referenced with Wikidata/Wikipedia. AI-assisted, community-reviewable. Suggest an improvement.

Etymology

Jesse derives from the Hebrew name Yishai (יִשַׁי), meaning "gift" or "wealthy," and entered English through biblical and ecclesiastical tradition. The name is used across Christian, Jewish, and secular Western cultures, most notably as the father of King David in the Hebrew Bible, and gained popularity in English-speaking countries during the Protestant Reformation.

Jesse currently ranks #184 in the United States as a boy's name. It reached its peak popularity around 1981.

Variants & nicknames

Contribute to this name

Help improve this page with a meaning, origin, or correction—and get credited as a contributor.

Login to contribute

We use Google & Facebook login — no password needed.

AdvertisementAd — responsive (after data block)

Sibling name ideas

English, Dutch, Finnish, Biblical, Portuguese, French names that sit beautifully beside Jesse

Similar names you might like

Names starting with J

Names that sound like Jesse

Phonetic match, not just spelling
Jose
Unisex Spanish (Americanized)

"José means "God will increase" and derives from the Hebrew name Yosef (יוֹסֵף), which combines "Yah" (God) and "asaf" (to…"

Global rank #1 View name
Juha
Boy Finnish

"Juha is a Finnish form of the name Juhana, which derives from the Hebrew name Yohanan (יוֹחָנָן), meaning "God is…"

Global rank #1 View name
Jack
Unisex English

"The name Jack is a diminutive form of John, derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan (יוֹחָנָן), meaning "God is gracious"…"

Global rank #2 View name
Joao
Boy Portuguese

"João means "God is gracious" and derives from the Hebrew name Yochanan, filtered through Latin (Joannes) and Portuguese phonetic adaptation."

Global rank #2 View name
Jukka
Boy Finnish

"Jukka is a Finnish given name derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan, meaning "God is gracious" through the Greek form…"

Global rank #9 View name
Jessica
Unisex English

"Jessica is derived from the Hebrew name Yiskah, meaning "God beholds" or "one who beholds," with the "-ica" suffix added…"

Global rank #15 View name
Jussi
Boy Finnish

"Jussi is the Finnish diminutive form of Jooseppi (Joseph), derived from the Hebrew name Yosef meaning "God will increase." The…"

Global rank #25 View name
Juho
Unisex Finnish

"Juho is a Finnish form of the name Judah, derived from the Hebrew root meaning "praised" or "thanked." It comes…"

Global rank #30 View name
Jaakko
Boy Finnish

"Jaakko means "he who supplants" or "God will protect," derived from the Hebrew name Jacob (Ya'akov) through Greek and Latin…"

Global rank #32 View name
Joshua
Unisex English

"Joshua derives from the Hebrew name Yehoshua (יְהוֹשׁוּעַ), meaning "God is salvation" or "God saves," combining the elements "Yah" (God)…"

Global rank #48 View name
Jooa
Unisex Finnish

"The given name 'Jooa' is derived from the Arabic name 'Jawwad' or 'Jawwah', which means 'generous' or 'bountiful', and is…"

Global rank #50 View name
Josiah
Unisex Biblical

"Josiah derives from the Hebrew name Yoshiyahu, composed of the elements "Yah" (God) and "shiyah" (to save), meaning "God supports"…"

Global rank #54 View name
AdvertisementAd — between sections

Names trending right now

Rising names for Boys

Help us make this better for every parent

Found a mistake · Know a name we’re missing · Have a different or better meaning for a name · Any question or recommendation — your insight helps families worldwide choose with confidence.

Share your feedback →
Scroll to Top
Follow & Connect