Meaning and history
From Ἰεσσαί (Iessai), the Greek form of the Hebrew name יִשַׁי (Yishai), which may derive from שַׁי (shai) meaning “gift” or יֵשׁ (yesh) meaning “existence,” Jesse is the name of the father of King David in the Old Testament and came into use as an English given name after the Protestant Reformation. Notable bearers include Jesse James (1847–1882), the American outlaw who held up banks and stagecoaches before being shot by a fellow gang member for a reward, and the American athlete Jesse Owens (1913–1980), whose real name was James Cleveland, or J. C., Owens.
20062006: 4,370 births, rank #102
2007: 4,130 births, rank #107
2008: 3,954 births, rank #110
2009: 3,688 births, rank #112
2010: 3,280 births, rank #124
20112011: 2,973 births, rank #140
2012: 2,712 births, rank #150
2013: 2,571 births, rank #156
2014: 2,469 births, rank #172
2015: 2,357 births, rank #178
20162016: 2,310 births, rank #174
2017: 2,106 births, rank #186
2018: 2,146 births, rank #186
2019: 1,979 births, rank #200
2020: 1,887 births, rank #203
20212021: 1,908 births, rank #203
2022: 1,979 births, rank #192
2023: 1,828 births, rank #202
2024: 1,996 births, rank #185
20252025: 2,002 births, rank #184
Jesse rose from #185 to #184 for boys between 2024 and 2025. Its highest annual birth count came in 1981, with 10,443 births.