unisex name
Jessie
JESS-ee
- Origin Scottish
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 299,985
the United States
#823
2025 births
Jessie is a name that arrives from two unrelated directions — the Scottish pet form of Janet, and a feminine of the Hebrew Jesse. It charts in all seven markets we track and is 62 percent female.
- Jessie is a name of Scottish origin.
- Peaked in 1918, when 5,003 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 7,271 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Jessie over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 11,030 |
| 1890s | 14,294 |
| 1900s | 16,135 |
| 1910s | 38,004 |
| 1920s | 44,086 |
| 1930s | 28,481 |
| 1940s | 22,472 |
| 1950s | 17,818 |
| 1960s | 12,898 |
| 1970s | 12,602 |
| 1980s | 22,527 |
| 1990s | 19,440 |
| 2000s | 11,278 |
| 2010s | 7,268 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,034 |
What Jessie means
Jessie has two meanings depending on its source. As a Scottish form of Janet it means God is gracious; as a feminine of Jesse it means gift, from a different Hebrew root.
Where Jessie comes from
Jessie is two names that converged. In Scotland it developed as a pet form of Janet, which is a diminutive of Jane and so carries the Hebrew Yochanan, God is gracious — this is the older and more common route, and Jessie was among the most popular Scottish girls' names of the nineteenth century. Separately it serves as a feminine of Jesse, the Hebrew Yishai, generally read as gift, who is named in scripture as the father of David. As a boys' name Jessie is a variant of Jesse, which is why about 38 percent of the births in our records are male.
Jessie in use
Jessie peaked in the United States in 1918, when 5,003 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It charts in all seven markets — 297th in Northern Ireland on 5 births, 315th in Scotland on 11, 363rd in Ireland on 11, 404th in England and Wales on 106, 747th in Canada, 823rd in the United States on 456 and 2025th in France — across 299,985 lifetime births. About 62 percent of recorded births are female, and Scotland and Ireland give it much its strongest positions.
How popular is Jessie?
In 2025, Jessie was given to 456 babies in the United States, ranking #823 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Jessie is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Jessie
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Jessie also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Jessie over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Jessie in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Jessie
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Jessie — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Jessie
What does the name Jessie mean?
God is gracious if taken as a Scottish form of Janet, or gift if taken as a feminine of Jesse. The two are unrelated.
Is Jessie short for Jessica?
It is used that way now, but historically it was a Scottish pet form of Janet.
Is Jessie a boys' name?
About 38 percent of the births in our records are male, chiefly as a variant of Jesse.
Where is Jessie used?
All six markets we track, with Northern Ireland, Scotland and Ireland its strongest.
How popular is the name Jessie?
In 2025, Jessie was given to 456 babies in the United States, ranking #823 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
How many syllables are in Jessie?
Jessie has 2 syllables.
When was Jessie most popular?
Jessie peaked in 1918, when 5,003 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Jessie a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Jessie currently ranks #297 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.