Jissie
A variant of the name Jessica of Hebrew origin meaning "wealthy".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Jissie. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 81.8% of registrations being male. The average person named Jissie today is around 89 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jissie births was 1931 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jissie. 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
- • The typical person named Jissie is about 89 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Jissies were born before 1947.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jissie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1931
8 babies that year
Average age
89
years old
1951 SSA rank
#3,975
Tracked since 1919
Gender
Gender distribution for Jissie
Jissie leans heavily male at 81.8% of total registrations, but 10 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Jissie as a male name
- Ranked #3,975 in 1951
- 5 male births in 1951
- Peak: 1931 (8 births)
Jissie as a female name
- Ranked #5,455 in 1924
- 5 female births in 1924
- Peak: 1921 (5 births)
Popularity
Jissie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jissie from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 27 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jissie 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 Jissie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jissie
The name Jissie is a relatively uncommon given name with somewhat uncertain origins. It is believed to have emerged as a diminutive or pet form of the name Jessica, which itself is derived from the Hebrew name Yiskah, meaning "foresight" or "to behold." The earliest known use of the name Jissie dates back to the late 19th century in parts of the United Kingdom and Ireland.
While the name Jissie does not appear to have any direct historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its parent name Jessica has biblical roots. The name Jessica is found in the Old Testament book of 2 Samuel, where it refers to an ancestor of the tribe of Judah. However, it is not entirely clear if this biblical figure was the inspiration for the modern name or if it was a later adoption.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Jissie was Jissie MacKenzie, a Scottish author and poet who lived from 1843 to 1923. She wrote several works of fiction and poetry, including the novel "The Awakening of Mary Fenwick" and the poetry collection "Among the Heather."
Another notable bearer of the name was Jissie Carey, an Irish actress and singer who lived from 1867 to 1940. She performed in various stage productions in London and New York, and was known for her roles in plays such as "The Belle of New York" and "The Diplomat."
In the early 20th century, Jissie Harwood was a British suffragette and activist who fought for women's rights and the right to vote. She was born in 1875 and was actively involved in the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) and the Women's Freedom League.
Jissie Matheson was a Scottish artist and painter who lived from 1887 to 1957. She was known for her landscape paintings and portraits, and her works were exhibited in various galleries across Scotland and England.
Lastly, Jissie Ayers was an Australian tennis player who competed in the early 20th century. She was born in 1889 and was a notable figure in the Australian tennis scene, winning several national and international tournaments.
Overall, while the name Jissie is not a common one, it has been borne by a variety of individuals throughout history, from authors and artists to actresses and athletes, across different parts of the world.
People
Jissie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jissie 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
Jissie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jissie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jissie 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Jissie a common name?
We classify Jissie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 55 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jissie most popular?
The single biggest year for Jissie was 1931, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jissie is about 89 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 Jissie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jissie a male name?
Yes, 81.8% of people registered as Jissie 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 Jissie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jissie 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 Jissie 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 have Jissie as a first name?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Jissie, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.