2000
#7,752
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,952
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.46
Rare Last name
Jessee
Derived from an English place name meaning "Jay's island" or "Jay's enclosure," referring to a person who lived there.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,580 Americans carry the last name Jessee. That puts it at #7,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 74,837 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jessee surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 74,837
Census rank
#7,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,994 bearers of the surname Jessee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jessee, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jessee
The surname JESSEE originated in England during the late medieval period, derived from the personal name Jesse, which itself traces its roots back to the Hebrew male name Yishay, meaning "gift" or "God's gift." The name's popularity in England coincided with the Protestant Reformation and the increased use of biblical names for children.
JESSEE is believed to have emerged as a surname in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, where some of the earliest recorded instances can be found in parish registers and tax records from the 16th and 17th centuries. Variations in spelling, such as JESSIE, JESSYE, and JESSY, were common during this time due to inconsistent record-keeping practices.
One of the earliest known references to the JESSEE surname is found in the 1588 Parish Register of Blythburgh, Suffolk, which mentions a William Jessee. Another early record is that of John Jessee, whose son was baptized in the parish of Loddon, Norfolk, in 1612.
While not extensively documented in major historical works like the Domesday Book, the JESSEE name occasionally appears in local histories and genealogical records from the 16th century onward. Notably, the name is linked to the village of Jessoe in Norfolk, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in that region.
Among notable individuals bearing the JESSEE surname, John Jessee (1645-1724) was a pioneer settler who established the Jessee family in America, arriving in Virginia from England in the late 17th century. His descendants played a significant role in the westward expansion and settlement of the American frontier.
Another prominent figure was William Jessee (1787-1858), a Baptist minister and early settler in Kentucky, who served as a missionary and established several churches in the state. His son, Joseph Jessee (1820-1899), was a Union soldier during the American Civil War and later became a respected farmer and community leader.
In the 19th century, Obadiah Jessee (1806-1887) was a wealthy landowner and businessman in Virginia, known for his extensive agricultural and mining interests. His grandson, James Jessee (1861-1937), was a prominent lawyer and judge in the same state.
More recently, Elizabeth Jessee (1922-2016) was a acclaimed American artist and sculptor, recognized for her abstract expressionist works and contributions to the arts community in California.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jessee
Among Census respondents with the surname Jessee, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Jessee bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Jessee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 3,693
- Two or more races3.2% · 127
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 115
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 23
- Black or African American0.5% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jessee
Jessee appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#8,067
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,108
+156 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Down 315 places
2020
#7,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,994
-114 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Up 113 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,752 | 3,952 | 1.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,067 | 4,108 | 1.39 | +156 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 315 places |
| 2020 | #7,954 | 3,994 | 1.34 | -114 bearers (-2.8%) | Up 113 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Jessee surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,067 | #7,954 | 1.4% |
| Count | 4,108 | 3,994 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.39 | 1.34 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jessee bearers went from 4,108 to 3,994 (-2.8% change). The surname moved up 113 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,067 to #7,954.
FAQ
Jessee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jessee?
Name Census estimates that about 4,580 living Americans carry the surname Jessee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 74,837 residents.
How common is Jessee?
Jessee ranks #7,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,994 people with the surname Jessee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,580), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Jessee.
Has Jessee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jessee went from 4,108 recorded bearers to 3,994. That is a decrease of 114 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,067 to #7,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Jessee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jessee, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Jessee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (3,693 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jessee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (2.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Jessee (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Jessee mean?
Derived from an English place name meaning "Jay's island" or "Jay's enclosure," referring to a person who lived there. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Jessee (1.34 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Jessee?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Jessee, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.