Jesse (given name)

Jesse
Origin
The Biblical character Jesse, as depicted in a stained glass window in All Saints Church, Hove, England
Pronunciation	/ˈd͡ʒɛ.si/ (English) /ˈjɛ.sə/ (Dutch)
Gender	Unisex
Meaning	"King" "God exists"
Region of origin	North America, Europe, Middle East
Other names
Related names	Jess, Jessie

Jesse is a given name of Hebrew origin. It derives its popularity from the biblical figure Jesse, father of Israelite monarch David. The English version is derived from the Latin Iesse, borrowed from the Ancient Greek Iessaí (Ἰεσσαί), and ultimately from the Hebrew Yišay (יִשַׁי).

The English name was translated into many languages (especially Romance languages and Greek). It has been a popular given name in many English-speaking countries since the 1880s.^[1] Despite being similar in appearance, it is unrelated in origin to the given name Jessica.

Cognates

Arabic: Yassa (Arabic: يَسَّى)
Catalan: Jessè
Czech: Isaj, Jišaj
Dutch: Isaï, Jesse
English: Jess (diminutive), Jessie (alternative spelling), Jesse, Jessy (alternative spelling)
French: Isaï, Jessé
German: Isai, Jischaj
Greek: Iessai (Greek: Ἰεσσαί)
Hebrew: Yishai, Yishay (Hebrew: יִשַׁי, Modern: Yišay, Tiberian: Yīšáy)
Indonesian: Isai, Jesse
Italian: Iesse
Latin: Isai
Portuguese: Jessé
Romanian: Isseu
Russian: Iessej (Cyrillic: Иессей)
Spanish: Isai, Isaí, Ishai, Jessé

Actors

Jesse Bradford, American actor
Jesse Borrego, American actor
Jesse Draper, American actress
Jesse Eisenberg, American actor
Jesse Jane, American pornographic actress
Jesse Heiman, American actor
Jesse Metcalfe, American actor
Jesse Randhawa, Indian actress
Jesse LaVercombe, Canadian-American actor
Jesse Lee Soffer, American actor
Jesse Spencer, Australian actor
Jesse Williams (actor), American actor
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, American actor

Athletes

Jesse, ring name of professional wrestler Ray Gordy
Jesse, birth name of sumo rikishi Takamiyama Daigorō
Jesse Anderson (American football), American professional football player
Jesse Barfield, professional baseball player
Jesse Barnes, American professional baseball player
Jesse Burkett, American professional baseball player, college coach
Jesse Carlson, American professional baseball player
Jesse Carver, British football player and manager
Jesse Chavez, American baseball player
Jesse Crain, Canadian professional baseball player
Jesse Davis, American football player
Jesse English, professional baseball player for the Washington Nationals
Jesse Foppert, professional baseball player
Jesse Hoffmeister, American professional baseball third baseman
Jesse Iwuji (born 1987), American racing driver
Jesse Levine (born 1987), American-Canadian professional tennis player
Jesse Lingard, English professional football player
Jesse Luketa (born 1999), Canadian-born American football player
Jesse Lumsden, professional football player, former McMaster University running back
Jesse Makarounas, Australian footballer
Jesse McDonald (archer) (born 1988), Australian archer
Jesse Orosco, professional baseball player
Jesse Owens, American Olympic athlete
Jesse Palmer, professional football player, former Bachelor star
Jesse Puljujärvi, professional hockey player
Jesse Ryder, New Zealand cricketer
Jesse Scholtens, American baseball player
Jesse Sorensen, American professional wrestler
Jesse Winker, American baseball player

Criminals

Jesse Anderson, American murderer
Jesse James, American Wild West outlaw
Jesse James Hollywood, American kidnapper and murderer
Jesse Pomeroy, American killer
Jesse Rugge, American kidnapper, involved in murder

Musicians

Jesse Anderson (musician) (1940–2014), American blues singer-songwriter and musician
Jesse Carmichael, keyboard player for the band Maroon 5
Jesse Cook, Canadian guitarist
Jesse Davis, American saxophonist
Jesse Ed Davis (1944–1988), American guitarist
Jesse Fuller, American one-man-band
Jesse Harris, American singer-songwriter
Jesse Huerta, one half of duo Jesse & Joy
Jesse Hughes, American frontman of the band Eagles of Death Metal
Jesse Hughes, Canadian DJ and producer, known by stagename Vanic
Jesse F. Keeler, musician, member of the band Death From Above 1979
Jesse Lacey, American frontman for the band Brand New
Jesse Lott, American artist/producer, known as "Some Nobody"
Jess Margera, American musician, member of the band CKY
Jesse McCartney, American singer
Jesse Michaels, Former frontman for Operation Ivy and Common Rider
Jesse Pintado, American guitarist, ex-member of Napalm Death and Terrorizer
Jesse Powell, American R&B singer
Jesse Quin, bassist for British band Keane
Jesse James Rutherford, American singer/songwriter, member of The Neighbourhood
Jesse Winchester (1944–2014), American singer-songwriter
Jesse Wood, English singer son of Ronnie Wood
Jesse Colin Young, American singer/songwriter, member of The Youngbloods

Politicians

Jesse Matlack Baker, Pennsylvania State Senator and State Representative
Jesse G. Bowles (1921–2007), Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia
Jesse D. Bright, U.S. senator from Indiana
Jesse Atherton Bynum, Democratic U.S. representative from North Carolina
Jesse Collings, English reformer, member of Parliament, mayor of Birmingham
Jesse Franklin, Democratic-Republic senator and governor of North Carolina
Jesse Gray, New York civil rights leader and politician
Jesse Helms, Republican U.S. senator from North Carolina (1973–2003)
Jesse Jackson, American civil rights activist, politician, and minister
Jesse Jeremiah, Nauruan MP
Jesse Klaver, Dutch politician
Jesse Matlack (1821–1893), American politician from Pennsylvania
Jesse Norman, British Conservative MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire
Jesse Robredo, Former Mayor of Naga City in the Philippines
Jesse Six Dijkstra (born 1994), Dutch politician
Jesse B. Thomas, Democratic-Republican senator from Illinois
Jesse M. Unruh, Democratic politician, state treasurer of California (1975–1987)
Jesse Ventura, pro wrestler and governor of Minnesota
Jesse Johnson Yeates, Democratic U.S. representative from North Carolina
Jesse A. Younger, Republican U.S. representative from California

Scientists

Jesse L. Greenstein, American astronomer
Jesse William Lazear, American physician
Jesse Ramsden, English inventor
Jesse Lowen Shearer, American engineer
Jesse Ehrenfeld, American physician
Jesse K. Marden, American physician

Others

Jesse, father of David
Jesse Alto, American poker player
Jesse Applegate, American pioneer
Jesse Baird (1997–2024), Australian television presenter and Australian rules football goal umpire
Jesse L. Brown, American aviator, first African-American naval aviator
Jesse Camp, former MTV personality
Jesse Chabot, Canadian screenwriter
Jesse Cox (broadcaster) (1986–2017), Australian radio producer, broadcaster and documentary maker
Jesse Cox (YouTuber), American YouTube gaming personality
Jesse Dirkhising (1986–1999), American murder victim
Jesse Duke, American former slave, activist, newspaper editor
Jesse Dylan, American film and video director, son of Bob Dylan
Jesse Honey, English quiz player and winner of BBC Mastermind 2010
Jesse Horn, American writer and illustrator
Jesse Hughes, American frontiersman
Jesse James (television personality), American custom motorcycle builder and TV personality
Jesse Fuller McDonald (1858–1942), American public official, civil engineer and surveyor
Jesse Clyde Nichols, American real estate developer
Jesse B. Oldendorf, American Navy admiral
Jesse Shwayder (1882–1970), American businessman, founder of the Samsonite Corporation
Jesse Walker, American journalist and historian
Jesse Wellens, American YouTuber

Fictional characters

Jesse, the protagonist of Minecraft: Story Mode
Jesse, the only boy of The Teens and one of the recurring characters from an American-Canadian animated series Peg + Cat
Jesse, one of the troopers of the 501st Legion from Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 TV series)
Jesse, from an adult animated sitcom, Solar Opposites
Jesse, in a Canadian animated series, Looped (TV series)
Jesse, an anthropomorphic tow truck in the children's TV show Finley the Fire Engine
Jesse Aarons, in the book Bridge to Terabithia
Jesse Anderson, from a Japanese anime series, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Jesse Chambers, a DC comic book superhero
Jesse Cosay, one of the main characters from Infinity Train
Jesse Custer, in the comic book series Preacher
Jesse Doe, a fictional 80 year old man who was said to have been found dead under an overpass in San Diego, California and was said to have been identified as being Elvis Presley
Jesse Duke (Dukes of Hazzard), from the TV show and movie The Dukes of Hazzard
Jesse Glenn, Gundalian Ventus Brawler from the animated series Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders
Jesse Fitzgerald, from an 2009 American film My Sister's Keeper (film)
Jesse Hall, one of the characters from The Mighty Ducks (1992 film) and D2: The Mighty Ducks
Jesse Katsopolis, in the TV sitcom Full House
Jesse McCree, from the video game Overwatch (video game)
Jesse McNally, in the T.V. Show Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Jesse Pinkman, in the TV series Breaking Bad
Jesse Porter, a burned spy who works with Michael on USA's Burn Notice
Jesse Ramirez, from the TV show Roswell
Jesse St. James, from the American TV series Glee
Jesse Stefanovic, in the Canadian TV series Degrassi: The Next Generation
Jesse Stone, from the detective movies based on the Jesse Stone novels by Robert B. Parker
Jesse Wallace, the protagonist from the Before trilogy.
Jesse Warner, the title character from a 1998-2000 sitcom Jesse (TV series).