Find out how popular the last name Jesse is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Jesse.

Jesse, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Jesse surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jesse in America

Jesse is the 8536th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jesse surname appeared 3,855 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Jesse.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jesse to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Jesse

The surname Jesse has its origins in England, where it first emerged during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English personal name "Gessa" or "Gisa," which itself originated from the Germanic root "ges" meaning "guest" or "stranger."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jesse can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named "Gessa" in the county of Berkshire.

In the 12th century, the name appears in various forms, such as "Gesse," "Iesse," and "Jesse," reflecting the evolution of spelling conventions over time. One notable bearer of the name during this period was Jesse de Amundeville, who was a prominent landowner in Warwickshire in the late 12th century.

As the surname Jesse spread across England, it became associated with certain place names, such as Jesse Green in Buckinghamshire and Jesse's Hill in Worcestershire. These locations likely took their names from early settlers or landowners with the surname Jesse.

Among the notable historical figures bearing the surname Jesse is John Jesse, an English historian and writer who lived from 1815 to 1887. He authored several books on English history and literature, including "Memoirs of the Court of England from the Revolution in 1688 to the Death of George II."

Another famous bearer of the name was George Richard Jesse, an English lawyer and writer who lived from 1786 to 1866. He is best known for his work "Researches into the History of the British Dog," which was a comprehensive study of the various breeds of dogs in Britain.

In the field of sports, Jesse Ramsden (1735-1800) was a renowned English mathematician and instrument maker who is credited with inventing several important surveying and astronomical instruments, including the Ramsden theodolite.

Moving into the 19th century, Jesse Boot (1850-1931) was a British businessman and philanthropist who founded the Boots pharmacy chain, which grew to become a prominent retailer in the United Kingdom.

Lastly, Jesse Owens (1913-1980) was an American track and field athlete who achieved international fame at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where he won four gold medals, challenging the Nazi ideology of Aryan supremacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jesse

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Jesse.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Jesse was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Jesse has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

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