Jesco
A masculine German name derived from the names Jacques and Jakobus.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Jesco. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jesco today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jesco births was 2015 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jesco. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jesco. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2015
5 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2015 SSA rank
#12,963
Tracked since 2015
Popularity
Jesco: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Jesco by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Jesco during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Jesco
The name Jesco is believed to have its origins in the German language. It is thought to be a variant of the name Jesko, which itself is a diminutive form of the name Jakob or Jacob. The name Jakob is derived from the Hebrew name Ya'aqov, meaning "to follow" or "to supplant."
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Jesco can be found in the 12th century, when it was borne by Jesco of Arnim, a German nobleman and knight who lived from around 1150 to 1220. Jesco of Arnim was a prominent figure in the Holy Roman Empire and served as a courtier and diplomat under Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.
Another notable bearer of the name was Jesco von Putlitz, a Prussian nobleman and military officer who lived from 1654 to 1733. He served as a general in the Prussian Army and was a close associate of King Frederick William I of Prussia.
In the 19th century, Jesco von Ribbentrop was a German diplomat and politician who lived from 1843 to 1923. He served as the Foreign Minister of the German Empire from 1900 to 1912.
A more contemporary figure with the name Jesco was Jesco von Neumann, an Austrian-American mathematician and computer scientist who lived from 1903 to 1957. He made significant contributions to various fields, including game theory, quantum mechanics, and the development of early computers.
Another notable bearer of the name was Jesco White, an American folk artist and musician who lived from 1957 to 2021. He was known for his eccentric persona and his unique style of dance and music, which he referred to as "the dancing outlaw."
While the name Jesco has its roots in German-speaking regions, it has been used across various cultures and societies throughout history. However, it remains a relatively uncommon name, particularly in modern times.
People
Jesco + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jesco as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jesco: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jesco?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jesco going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Jesco a common name?
We classify Jesco as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jesco most popular?
The single biggest year for Jesco was 2015, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jesco is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Jesco in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jesco a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jesco in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Jesco still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jesco in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Jesco can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Jesco?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.