Jesse
Girl name · #2459 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 72 baby girls were named Jesse, placing it at #2459 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #2646, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 25,000 girls born in 2025 was named Jesse.
The 145-year story
Jesse first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1981, when 380 girls were named Jesse — good for #517 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. 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 Jesse per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Jesse against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Jesse in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Jesse is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Jesse will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Jesse is most common
State-level data for Jesse is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Jesse
Statistically, parents drawn to Jesse tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jessi, Kayce, Lacie, Alyse, and Jacklyn.
JessiKayceLacieAlyseJacklynKassieJustineJanna
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Jesse | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 72 | #2458 |
| 2024 | 73 | #2462 |
| 2023 | 72 | #2466 |
| 2022 | 52 | #3123 |
| 2021 | 69 | #2533 |
| 2020 | 65 | #2597 |
| 2019 | 59 | #2814 |
| 2018 | 82 | #2238 |
| 2017 | 76 | #2384 |
| 2016 | 67 | #2617 |
| 2015 | 67 | #2646 |
| 2014 | 73 | #2469 |
| 2013 | 70 | #2533 |
| 2012 | 80 | #2336 |
| 2011 | 81 | #2298 |
| 2010 | 108 | #1873 |
| 2009 | 108 | #1934 |
| 2008 | 120 | #1808 |
| 2007 | 117 | #1815 |
| 2006 | 122 | #1709 |
| 2005 | 173 | #1290 |
| 2004 | 181 | #1225 |
| 2003 | 172 | #1227 |
| 2002 | 190 | #1107 |
| 2001 | 195 | #1087 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Jesse a popular girl name?
Jesse ranked #2459 among girls in 2025 with 72 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2646.
When was the name Jesse most popular?
Jesse peaked in 1981, when 380 American girls received the name (ranked #517 that year). Since 1981 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Jesse?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 25,000 newborn American girls was named Jesse. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very 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.