Jesse
Boy name · #184 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Jesse? In official American birth records, Jesse has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Jesse is currently the #184 boy name in the United States — 2,002 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #178, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 899 boys born in 2025 was named Jesse.
Babies named Jesse per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Jesse first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 569 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1981, when 10,443 boys were named Jesse — good for #37 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.
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 "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Jesse is most common
Geography matters for names, and Jesse is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Jesse is most common in MT (4.5 per 1,000), NM (2.8 per 1,000), ID (2.1 per 1,000), MS (1.9 per 1,000), MD (1.9 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.4 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Jesse is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
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 Joel, Justin, Jaime, Jose, and Marcus.
JoelJustinJaimeJoseMarcusJeremyDerekAndre
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Jesse | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,002 | #184 |
| 2024 | 1,996 | #185 |
| 2023 | 1,828 | #202 |
| 2022 | 1,979 | #192 |
| 2021 | 1,908 | #203 |
| 2020 | 1,887 | #203 |
| 2019 | 1,979 | #200 |
| 2018 | 2,146 | #186 |
| 2017 | 2,106 | #186 |
| 2016 | 2,310 | #174 |
| 2015 | 2,357 | #178 |
| 2014 | 2,469 | #172 |
| 2013 | 2,571 | #156 |
| 2012 | 2,712 | #150 |
| 2011 | 2,973 | #140 |
| 2010 | 3,280 | #124 |
| 2009 | 3,688 | #112 |
| 2008 | 3,954 | #110 |
| 2007 | 4,130 | #107 |
| 2006 | 4,370 | #102 |
| 2005 | 4,746 | #89 |
| 2004 | 4,761 | #94 |
| 2003 | 4,606 | #94 |
| 2002 | 4,431 | #90 |
| 2001 | 4,222 | #91 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Jesse?
In official American birth records, the name Jesse first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 569 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Jesse a popular boy name?
Jesse ranked #184 among boys in 2025 with 2,002 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #178.
When was the name Jesse most popular?
Jesse peaked in 1981, when 10,443 American boys received the name (ranked #37 that year). Since 1981 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Jesse?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 899 newborn American boys was named Jesse. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.