Jesse
Every Jesse since 1880 — 444,920 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Jesse
Jesse is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #184 in 2025 with 2,002 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 444,920 American babies have been named Jesse. Its peak came in 1981, when 10,823 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1980s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Jesse stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Jesse year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 72 | #2,471 | 2,002 | #184 |
| 2024 | 73 | #2,475 | 1,996 | #185 |
| 2023 | 72 | #2,477 | 1,828 | #202 |
| 2022 | 52 | #3,138 | 1,979 | #192 |
| 2021 | 69 | #2,544 | 1,908 | #203 |
| 2020 | 65 | #2,610 | 1,887 | #203 |
| 2019 | 59 | #2,838 | 1,979 | #200 |
| 2018 | 82 | #2,248 | 2,146 | #186 |
| 2017 | 76 | #2,390 | 2,106 | #186 |
| 2016 | 67 | #2,630 | 2,310 | #174 |
| 2015 | 67 | #2,666 | 2,357 | #178 |
| 2014 | 73 | #2,486 | 2,469 | #172 |
| 2013 | 70 | #2,546 | 2,571 | #156 |
| 2012 | 80 | #2,346 | 2,712 | #150 |
| 2011 | 81 | #2,309 | 2,973 | #140 |
| 2010 | 108 | #1,879 | 3,280 | #124 |
| 2009 | 108 | #1,941 | 3,688 | #112 |
| 2008 | 120 | #1,811 | 3,954 | #110 |
| 2007 | 117 | #1,818 | 4,130 | #107 |
| 2006 | 122 | #1,712 | 4,370 | #102 |
| 2005 | 173 | #1,295 | 4,746 | #89 |
| 2004 | 181 | #1,226 | 4,761 | #94 |
| 2003 | 172 | #1,231 | 4,606 | #94 |
| 2002 | 190 | #1,108 | 4,431 | #90 |
| 2001 | 195 | #1,087 | 4,222 | #91 |
| 2000 | 282 | #807 | 4,485 | #90 |
| 1995 | 367 | #608 | 7,495 | #46 |
| 1990 | 347 | #648 | 8,977 | #48 |
| 1985 | 279 | #654 | 8,221 | #51 |
| 1980 | 293 | #624 | 8,374 | #45 |
| 1975 | 117 | #1,030 | 4,435 | #64 |
| 1970 | 52 | #1,742 | 2,768 | #119 |
| 1965 | 22 | #2,635 | 2,212 | #139 |
| 1960 | 34 | #1,960 | 2,374 | #150 |
| 1955 | 26 | #2,135 | 2,786 | #122 |
| 1950 | 28 | #1,808 | 2,607 | #114 |
| 1945 | 21 | #1,852 | 2,186 | #104 |
| 1940 | 25 | #1,565 | 2,205 | #93 |
| 1935 | 29 | #1,370 | 1,865 | #104 |
| 1930 | 28 | #1,482 | 2,035 | #94 |
| 1925 | 52 | #1,056 | 2,373 | #85 |
| 1920 | 36 | #1,294 | 2,420 | #79 |
| 1915 | 43 | #1,019 | 2,111 | #77 |
| 1910 | 11 | #1,468 | 590 | #60 |
| 1905 | 23 | #769 | 443 | #54 |
| 1900 | 10 | #1,267 | 536 | #50 |
| 1895 | 11 | #1,016 | 577 | #35 |
| 1890 | 10 | #902 | 576 | #33 |
| 1885 | 15 | #564 | 556 | #31 |
| 1880 | 5 | #877 | 569 | #28 |
Famous people named Jesse
- Jesse Owens Athlete · 1913–1980
- Jesse James Mafioso · 1847–1882
- Jesse Jackson Social activist · b. 1941
- Jesse Douglas Mathematician · 1897–1965
- Jesse Ventura Politician · b. 1951
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
How popular is the name Jesse in 2025?
Jesse ranked #184 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 2,002 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Jesse?
444,920 babies have been named Jesse in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Jesse most popular?
Jesse peaked in 1981, when 10,823 newborns received the name.
Is Jesse a boy or girl name?
Jesse is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 97% of babies with the name.
Is the name Jesse rising or falling?
Jesse has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Jesse?
Well-known people named Jesse include Jesse Owens (athlete), Jesse James (mafioso), Jesse Jackson (social activist).