Fun Facts About the Name Jessa
- More than 6 thousand babies named Jessa: U.S. records list 6,464 babies given the name Jessa from 1880 through 2025. Even 5 boys received the name Jessa - about 1 boy for every 1,292 girls.
What Does the Name Jessa Mean?
Jessa is an English feminine given name, usually explained in one of two ways: as a feminine form of the Hebrew name Jesse, or as a short form of the English name Jessica. Those two parent names are not related to each other, so the meaning depends on which one is intended.
If Jessa is taken as a feminine form of Jesse, the meaning is commonly given as "gift" or "God's gift." Jesse comes from the Hebrew יִשַׁי (Yishai), the name of King David's father in the Bible. The etymology of the Hebrew name itself is not securely established, so "gift" is best described as a customary interpretation rather than a confirmed root meaning.
If Jessa is taken as a short form of Jessica, the meaning is uncertain. Jessica appears in English in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, and no origin for it has been confirmed. Proposed explanations include the Hebrew name יִסְכָּה (Yiscah), a woman named in Genesis and sometimes glossed as "one who sees" or "foresight," and a connection to the English falconry word jess. Neither proposal is settled, and the two should not be treated as established fact.
Jessa Name History & Origins
Jessa belongs to the group of English feminine names formed by shortening or softening an older name. Because it can be read either as a feminine form of Jesse or as a nickname-style shortening of Jessica, it does not have a single line of descent; its use follows the presence of those two names in English-speaking countries, above all the United States.
The older of the two parent names is Jesse. It comes from Hebrew יִשַׁי (Yishai), which passed into Greek as Ἰεσσαί (Iessai) and into Latin as Isai or Jesse in Bible translations, and from there into English as a given name. Jessica is much later in English: it is first attested in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, written in the late 1590s, and it spread as a common given name in the English-speaking world only in the 20th century.
Jessa itself is a modern given name in English. It has appeared as a character name in recent popular culture - for example Jessa Johansson in the HBO series Girls and Jessa Duggar on the reality series 19 Kids and Counting. These are contemporary uses of the name, not evidence of its origin, and no single work or person accounts for its adoption.
How Popular is the Name Jessa?
Jessa recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2015. Its best rank was #545 in 2015.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,225 | 83 | 0.0052% |
| 2024 | #2,041 | 95 | 0.0059% |
| 2023 | #1,989 | 99 | 0.0062% |
| 2022 | #1,711 | 122 | 0.0074% |
| 2021 | #1,286 | 179 | 0.0109% |
| 2020 | #1,330 | 166 | 0.0103% |
| 2019 | #1,248 | 187 | 0.0111% |
| 2018 | #1,061 | 241 | 0.0142% |
| 2017 | #870 | 314 | 0.0182% |
| 2016 | #676 | 433 | 0.0244% |
| 2015 | #545 | 572 | 0.0321% |
| 2014 | #835 | 332 | 0.0186% |
| 2013 | #1,156 | 208 | 0.0119% |
| 2012 | #989 | 255 | 0.0145% |
| 2011 | #1,113 | 222 | 0.0126% |
| 2010 | #1,033 | 242 | 0.0136% |
| 2009 | #1,255 | 196 | 0.0107% |
| 2008 | #1,780 | 124 | 0.0066% |
| 2007 | #1,566 | 145 | 0.0075% |
| 2006 | #1,569 | 138 | 0.0073% |
| 2005 | #2,078 | 90 | 0.0049% |
| 2004 | #1,672 | 116 | 0.0063% |
| 2003 | #1,976 | 92 | 0.0050% |
| 2002 | #2,152 | 78 | 0.0043% |
| 2001 | #1,810 | 98 | 0.0054% |
| 2000 | #1,875 | 91 | 0.0050% |
| 1999 | #1,879 | 84 | 0.0047% |
| 1998 | #1,808 | 86 | 0.0049% |
| 1997 | #1,857 | 80 | 0.0046% |
| 1996 | #1,547 | 103 | 0.0059% |
| 1995 | #1,516 | 103 | 0.0059% |
| 1994 | #1,420 | 113 | 0.0063% |
| 1993 | #1,490 | 107 | 0.0059% |
| 1992 | #1,578 | 98 | 0.0053% |
| 1991 | #1,542 | 101 | 0.0054% |
| 1990 | #1,724 | 85 | 0.0045% |
| 1989 | #2,035 | 62 | 0.0034% |
| 1988 | #2,198 | 52 | 0.0029% |
| 1987 | #2,001 | 56 | 0.0032% |
| 1986 | #2,644 | 37 | 0.0022% |
| 1985 | #2,265 | 45 | 0.0026% |
| 1984 | #2,533 | 37 | 0.0022% |
| 1983 | #3,013 | 28 | 0.0017% |
| 1982 | #3,461 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 1981 | #2,134 | 48 | 0.0029% |
| 1980 | #2,454 | 39 | 0.0023% |
| 1979 | #2,692 | 33 | 0.0021% |
| 1978 | #2,489 | 35 | 0.0023% |
| 1977 | #3,031 | 26 | 0.0017% |
| 1976 | #4,453 | 14 | 0.0010% |
| 1975 | #6,152 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1974 | #5,517 | 10 | 0.0007% |
| 1973 | #6,955 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1972 | #5,659 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1971 | #8,846 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1918 | #5,191 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | #4,272 | 5 | 0.0005% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Jessa Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are honest, benevolent, brilliant and often inventive, full of high inspirations. You are courageous, honest, determined, original and creative. You are a leader, especially for a cause. Sometimes you do not care to finish what you start, and may leave details to others. You can do well in position of authority, and prospers in intellectual and professional fields. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Jessa's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Jessa's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.