Boys' name · peaked in 1887
Jesse name popularity since 1925
399,810 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Jesse (2.9% girls, 97.1% boys). Half of them were born in 1985 or earlier, so the typical Jesse is about 41 years old in 2026. Jesse peaked in 1887 as the #26 name for boys, and it ranked #184 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 399,810
- Named Jesse, 1925–2025
- Peak year
- 1887
- #26 for boys that year
- In 2025
- #184
- for boys in 2025 (2,002 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 97.1% boys
- 11,613 girls · 388,197 boys
- Most popular in
- Alaska
- 2.11× its national share
Peak year is the year Jesse made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Jesse births per year, 1925–2025
The biggest year on this chart was 1981. Measured as a share of all babies, Jesse peaked earlier, in 1887.
- Fastest rise: Between 1971 and 1976, Jesse became 2× more common, from 1 in 589 baby boys to 1 in 296.
- Steepest fall: Between 1994 and 1999, its share of baby boys fell by 42%, from 1 in 223 to 1 in 384.
Shaded on the chart. Both compare Jesse's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Jesse.
Decade by decade
Babies named Jesse in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 233 | 11,190 | – |
| 1930s | 264 | 18,930 | #104 |
| 1940s | 215 | 24,336 | #104 |
| 1950s | 266 | 26,655 | #122 |
| 1960s | 330 | 22,605 | #139 |
| 1970s | 1,133 | 44,886 | #64 |
| 1980s | 3,111 | 85,908 | #51 |
| 1990s | 3,235 | 73,791 | #46 |
| 2000s | 1,660 | 43,393 | #89 |
| 2010s | 763 | 24,903 | #178 |
| 2020–25 | 403 | 11,600 | #184 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
35.0% of babies named Jesse from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Millennial years (1981–1996). The full split by generation:
Where Jesse is most popular
The index compares Jesse's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Jesse.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 2.11× | 1,253 |
| Wyoming | 1.72× | 926 |
| Nevada | 1.60× | 2,282 |
| Oregon | 1.56× | 5,849 |
| Montana | 1.55× | 1,807 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 499 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Jesse's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Jesse.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Jesse (1887).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data