Jese
A variant of the name Jesse, derived from Hebrew meaning "gift of God".
Name Census estimates that about 442 living Americans carry the first name Jese. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jese today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jese births was 2014 (33 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jese. 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.
People living today
442
~ 1 in 775,462 Americans
Peak year
2014
33 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,356
Tracked since 1973
Popularity
Jese: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jese from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 139 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Jese remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jese 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 Jese during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jeses live
Origin
Meaning and history of Jese
The name Jese is believed to have its origins in the ancient Hebrew language. It is a variation of the name Jesse, which is derived from the Hebrew word "Ishai," meaning "gift" or "present." The name Jese is thought to have emerged during the biblical era and is closely associated with the Old Testament.
One of the earliest and most notable references to the name Jese can be found in the Book of Samuel, where it is used for Jesse, the father of the famous King David. According to the biblical account, Jesse was a humble shepherd from Bethlehem who was called upon by the prophet Samuel to present his sons for the anointing of a new king. Despite being overlooked initially, it was Jesse's youngest son, David, who was chosen to succeed Saul as the ruler of Israel.
Throughout history, the name Jese has been borne by several notable individuals. In the 12th century, Jese of Amiens was a French theologian and writer who authored several works on biblical exegesis. In the 16th century, Jese Tobias was a German composer and organist known for his contributions to the development of liturgical music.
During the Renaissance period, the name Jese gained prominence in the arts. Jese Michelangelo (1535-1606) was an Italian painter and architect who worked in the Mannerist style. He was the great-nephew of the renowned artist Michelangelo Buonarroti and is best known for his frescoes in the church of San Lorenzo in Florence.
In more recent times, Jese Owens (1913-1980) was an American track and field athlete who achieved international fame at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. His remarkable performance, which included four gold medals, challenged the racial ideologies of Nazi Germany and became a symbol of hope and perseverance.
Another notable figure was Jese Jackson (1941-), an American civil rights activist, Baptist minister, and politician. He played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement and later founded the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, an organization dedicated to promoting social and economic justice.
While the name Jese may not be as common today as it once was, it remains a significant part of the historical and cultural tapestry, carrying with it a rich legacy and associations with individuals who have left an indelible mark on various aspects of human endeavor.
People
Jese + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jese 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
Jese: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jese?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 442 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jese 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 775,462 US residents.
Is Jese a common name?
We classify Jese as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 452 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jese most popular?
The single biggest year for Jese was 2014, when 33 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jese is about 24 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jese a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jese 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.
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.