Jesston
Of uncertain origin, potentially a variant of the name Justin.
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Jesston. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jesston today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jesston births was 2003 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jesston. 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 Jesston. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2003
6 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2006 SSA rank
#12,912
Tracked since 2003
Popularity
Jesston: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Jesston 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 Jesston during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Jesston
The name Jesston has its origins in the Old English language and can be traced back to the 8th century. It is derived from the words "gest," meaning guest or stranger, and "tun," meaning town or settlement. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was a visitor or newcomer to a particular town or village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jesston can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Jesston who held property in the county of Gloucestershire.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Jesston de Vere was a prominent knight and crusader who accompanied King Richard I on the Third Crusade to the Holy Land. He is mentioned in several historical accounts of the time, including the chronicles of Roger of Hoveden and Ralph of Coggeshall.
During the 13th century, a Franciscan friar named Jesston of Bury St. Edmunds gained recognition for his scholarly works on theology and philosophy. His treatises on the nature of the soul and the concept of free will were widely studied in monastic circles at the time.
In the 15th century, a renowned architect named Jesston Smythe was responsible for designing and overseeing the construction of several notable churches and cathedrals in England, including the nave of Canterbury Cathedral and the choir of Winchester Cathedral. His innovative use of the perpendicular Gothic style left a lasting impact on English ecclesiastical architecture.
Another significant figure associated with the name Jesston was Jesston Cromwell, a military leader and cousin of Oliver Cromwell, who played a crucial role in the English Civil War during the 17th century. He commanded parliamentary forces in several battles and was renowned for his tactical acumen and bravery on the battlefield.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Jesston. While the name may not be as common today, its rich historical lineage and connections to various influential figures across different eras and fields make it a unique and intriguing choice.
People
Jesston + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jesston 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
Jesston: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jesston?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jesston 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Jesston a common name?
We classify Jesston as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jesston most popular?
The single biggest year for Jesston was 2003, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jesston is about 21 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 Jesston in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jesston a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jesston 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 Jesston still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jesston 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 Jesston 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 people are named Jesston?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.