Jessa
Girl name · #2223 in 2025 · Uniqueness 85/100
Jessa is currently the #2223 girl name in the United States — 83 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #544, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 21,687 girls born in 2025 was named Jessa.
The 107-year story
Jessa first appears in the Social Security records in 1918, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2015, when 572 girls were named Jessa — good for #544 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Jessa per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Jessa against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Jessa in class?
Jessa scores 85 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Jessa will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Jessa is most common
Geography matters for names, and Jessa is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Jessas were FL (11), TX (9), CA (8), NY (6). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Jessa
Statistically, parents drawn to Jessa tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Nessa, Alessa, Janessa, Jaina, and Layna.
NessaAlessaJanessaJainaLaynaNavyaMearaJanyla
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Jessa | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 83 | #2214 |
| 2024 | 96 | #2033 |
| 2023 | 99 | #1984 |
| 2022 | 122 | #1710 |
| 2021 | 179 | #1284 |
| 2020 | 167 | #1318 |
| 2019 | 187 | #1247 |
| 2018 | 242 | #1057 |
| 2017 | 314 | #870 |
| 2016 | 433 | #675 |
| 2015 | 572 | #544 |
| 2014 | 332 | #834 |
| 2013 | 208 | #1152 |
| 2012 | 255 | #988 |
| 2011 | 222 | #1111 |
| 2010 | 242 | #1030 |
| 2009 | 196 | #1254 |
| 2008 | 124 | #1774 |
| 2007 | 145 | #1560 |
| 2006 | 138 | #1567 |
| 2005 | 90 | #2073 |
| 2004 | 116 | #1667 |
| 2003 | 92 | #1970 |
| 2002 | 78 | #2142 |
| 2001 | 98 | #1807 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Jessa a popular girl name?
Jessa ranked #2223 among girls in 2025 with 83 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #544.
When was the name Jessa most popular?
Jessa peaked in 2015, when 572 American girls received the name (ranked #544 that year). Since 2015 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Jessa?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 21,687 newborn American girls was named Jessa. It scores 85/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.