Jessey
A diminutive form of the masculine name Jesse, of Hebrew origin meaning "gift".
Name Census estimates that about 1,117 living Americans carry the first name Jessey. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 76.3% of registrations being male. The average person named Jessey today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jessey births was 1994 (60 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jessey. 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
1.1K
~ 1 in 306,853 Americans
Peak year
1994
60 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
2022 SSA rank
#10,284
Tracked since 1920
Gender
Gender distribution for Jessey
Jessey is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 1,209 total registrations, 922 (76.3%) were male and 287 (23.7%) were female.
Jessey as a male name
- Ranked #10,284 in 2022
- 7 male births in 2022
- Peak: 1994 (48 births)
Jessey as a female name
- Ranked #14,612 in 2018
- 6 female births in 2018
- Peak: 1993 (17 births)
Popularity
Jessey: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jessey from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 431 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jessey 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 Jessey during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jesseys live
Origin
Meaning and history of Jessey
The name Jessey finds its origins in the Hebrew language and culture, tracing back to ancient times. It is a variant or diminutive form of the name Jesse, which is derived from the Hebrew name "Yishai" or "Yishay," meaning "gift" or "present." This name holds significant historical and religious significance, particularly in the Judeo-Christian traditions.
In the Old Testament of the Bible, Jesse was the father of King David, the celebrated ruler of ancient Israel. This biblical figure is mentioned in several passages, including the Book of Ruth and the Books of Samuel. Jesse's lineage is crucial in the genealogy of Jesus Christ, as described in the Gospel of Matthew.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Jessey can be traced back to the Middle Ages in various European regions. During this period, it was commonly used as a diminutive form of Jesse, often given to children or as a nickname. Some notable historical figures who bore the name Jessey include:
1. Jessey Balcombe (1741-1826), an English landowner and merchant in the British West Indies.
2. Jessey Byrde (1580-1651), an English clergyman and religious writer.
3. Jessey Hill (1786-1838), an English engraver and portrait painter.
4. Jessey Earl (1861-1924), an English cricketer who played for Essex County Cricket Club.
5. Jessey Norman (1924-2010), an American civil rights activist and educator.
Throughout history, the name Jessey has been used across various cultures and regions, albeit less commonly than its parent name, Jesse. Its popularity has ebbed and flowed over time, influenced by cultural and religious factors. While not as widely known as some other names, Jessey has maintained a presence in various historical records and accounts, reflecting its enduring appeal and connection to its Hebrew roots.
People
Jessey + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jessey 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
Jessey: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jessey?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,117 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jessey 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 306,853 US residents.
Is Jessey a common name?
We classify Jessey as "Rare". It ranks above 90.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,209 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jessey most popular?
The single biggest year for Jessey was 1994, when 60 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jessey is about 31 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jessey a male name?
Yes, 76.3% of people registered as Jessey 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.