Jesse
Say it: JESS-ee/ˈd͡ʒɛs.i/
Boy5 letters2 syllables
#141
in Ireland (2025)
#140 with spellings combined
38
babies in 2025
#131
best rank (2023)
655
babies since 1970
Up 99
10-year rank change
Jesse through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 38 | #140 |
| 2024 | 28 | #177 |
| 2023 | 42 | #131 |
| 2022 | 42 | #144 |
| 2021 | 23 | #213 |
| 2020 | 25 | #198 |
| 2019 | 25 | #209 |
| 2018 | 32 | #177 |
| 2017 | 24 | #230 |
| 2016 | 25 | #218 |
| 2015 | 22 | #239 |
| 2014 | 28 | #208 |
| 2013 | 18 | #271 |
| 2012 | 6 | #500 |
| 2011 | 11 | #366 |
| 2010 | 13 | #322 |
| 2009 | 18 | #261 |
| 2008 | 16 | #275 |
| 2007 | 23 | #210 |
| 2006 | 13 | #257 |
| 2005 | 14 | #231 |
| 2004 | 17 | #192 |
| 2003 | 10 | #266 |
| 2002 | 8 | #267 |
| 2001 | 11 | #215 |
| 2000 | 8 | #236 |
| 1999 | 13 | #189 |
| 1998 | 12 | #188 |
| 1997 | 8 | #251 |
| 1996 | 9 | #234 |
| 1995 | 7 | #241 |
| 1994 | 8 | #225 |
| 1993 | 5 | #275 |
| 1992 | 9 | #210 |
| 1991 | 13 | #179 |
| 1990 | 6 | #245 |
| 1989 | 4 | #278 |
| 1988 | 7 | #215 |
| 1987 | 3 | #303 |
| 1986 | 4 | #283 |
| 1978 | 3 | #326 |
| 1970 | 4 | #278 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Jesse mean?
Uncertain
Hebrew, from Yishai, through Greek and Latin versions of the Bible.
Say it right
JESSee
The story of Jesse
Jesse comes from the Hebrew name Yishai. It passed into English through the Greek and Latin Bibles, which gave it its modern shape. The sources we use don’t give a clear meaning for Yishai, so we leave it as uncertain.
In the Bible, Jesse is the son of Obed and the father of King David, and the name owes its long use to him. It sounds exactly like the girls’ name Jessie, and a few girls in Ireland have been given the Jesse spelling too.
Jesse first appears in the CSO records in 1970 and stayed rare for decades. It has picked up in recent years. Its biggest year was 2022, with 42 boys, and its best rank came in 2023, at number 131. In Northern Ireland it reached number 99 in 2025, its best rank there.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Jesse (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Jesse (given name)
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Nicknames
Jess
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Jesse | 38 | 655 |
In Northern Ireland
#99 in 2025 with 24 babies. Best rank #99 (2025); 248 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.
Jesse is also given to girls: 14 since 2002.