Jess first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Jess has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Jess

A short form of the name Jessica, derived from Hebrew meaning "wealth" or "foresight".

Popularity of Jess by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Jess is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 95% of people named Jess being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 25 male babies and 10 female babies born with the name Jess.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 10 baby girls were named Jess in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 25 10
2022 17 8
2021 25 6
2020 21 5
2019 23 7
2018 33 0
2017 22 5
2016 30 0
2015 35 0
2014 32 5
2013 28 7
2012 33 0
2011 37 5
2010 32 0
2009 45 0
2008 55 10
2007 66 15
2006 60 10
2005 79 8
2004 82 9
2003 65 6
2002 70 13
2001 82 10
2000 77 12
1999 96 0
1998 91 13
1997 115 8
1996 144 13
1995 136 6
1994 150 6
1993 149 12
1992 146 6
1991 183 16
1990 214 9
1989 174 10
1988 199 9
1987 216 6
1986 241 7
1985 262 8
1984 261 9
1983 306 9
1982 337 6
1981 277 0
1980 292 0
1979 306 10
1978 346 10
1977 311 0
1976 277 6
1975 284 0
1974 309 6

The history of the first name Jess

The name Jess is a diminutive form of the name Jessica, which has its origins in the Hebrew language. Jessica is derived from the Hebrew name Yehoshua or Yeshua, which means "Yahweh is salvation" or "Yahweh is deliverance." The name Yeshua is the Hebrew version of the name Jesus, and it was a common name among Jewish people in ancient times.

The name Jessica first appeared in the English language in the 16th century, introduced by the Puritan movement. It gained popularity as a female name in the 19th century, particularly in the United States. The shortened form Jess emerged as a nickname for Jessica, and it has since become a gender-neutral name used for both males and females.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Jess can be found in the works of William Shakespeare. In his play "The Merchant of Venice," written around 1596, one of the characters is named Jessica. However, it is important to note that in Shakespeare's time, the name was likely meant to be a masculine name.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Jess. One of the most famous was Jess Willard, an American heavyweight boxer who held the world heavyweight championship from 1915 to 1919. He was born in 1881 and died in 1968.

Another prominent figure with the name Jess was Jess Stacy, an American jazz pianist and composer. He was born in 1904 and played a significant role in the development of the Kansas City jazz style. Jess Stacy is renowned for his contributions to the Benny Goodman Orchestra in the 1930s.

In the field of literature, Jess Stein was an American novelist and short story writer. She was born in 1923 and is best known for her novel "The Fourteenth of September," which explores the complexities of life in New York City during the 1960s.

Jess Oppenheimer was an American television writer and producer, best known for creating the popular sitcom "I Love Lucy" with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. He was born in 1913 and played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of television comedy during the 1950s.

Lastly, Jess Franco was a Spanish filmmaker and actor known for his work in the horror and exploitation genres. Born in 1930, he directed over 200 films throughout his prolific career, earning him a reputation as one of the most prolific directors in the history of cinema.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Jess was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Jess, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Jess first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/jess-meaning-and-history/.

"Jess first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/jess-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Jess first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/jess-meaning-and-history/.

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