Girl & boy name
Jesse
Jesse holds the #184 spot on the 2025 list of the most popular boy names in the U.S. That amounts to 2,002 newborn boys in a single year. Its position has barely moved over the past five years — a sign of steady, established appeal. Its strongest year on record was 1882 (#26 nationally, 660 newborns), in a data series reaching back to 1880. The name's biggest fan base is in Montana (#62 there in 2025).
Rankings
Jesse popularity, 1880–2025
Where Jesse is most popular
Uniqueness score
A familiar pick that most people will recognize instantly. Based on how many babies per birth were named Jesse in the most recent year of SSA data.
Jesse as a girl name
As of 2025, Jesse ranks #2458 among American girls' names, according to Social Security records. 72 girls received the name that year. Here's the interesting part: Jesse peaked in 1981, faded, and is now climbing again — a classic comeback pattern. SSA records for Jesse go back to 1880; the peak came in 1981 at #517, with 380 babies named that year. Geographically, it's strongest in Georgia, where it ranks #1533 among girl names.