Fun Facts About the Name Jessup
- 479 babies named Jessup: U.S. records list 479 babies given the name Jessup from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Jessup Mean?
Jessup is an English surname that is also used as a given name. It is generally explained as a familiar or pet form of the biblical personal name Joseph, which comes from Hebrew Yosef, from a root meaning "to add." The customary reading of that root is "he will add" or "God increases." Middle English had forms such as Josep and Jesop, and the surname is recorded in the spellings Jessop and Jessopp as well as Jessup.
The literal sense of the Hebrew root is about adding, while the widely used translation "God increases" is a traditional interpretation rather than a word-for-word rendering. Whether the -op/-up ending began as a diminutive suffix or simply as a written version of the spoken short form is not settled, so the exact route from Joseph to Jessup remains partly uncertain.
Jessup Name History & Origins
Family names of this kind grew out of medieval England, where a shortened or affectionate form of a baptismal name could pass from one generation to the next and eventually become hereditary. Jessop and Jessup are found mainly in the north of England, particularly Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire. Because spelling was not standardized until much later, the same family might appear in records as Jessop, Jessopp, or Jessup. Bearers of the name later emigrated to North America and other English-speaking countries.
As a given name, Jessup is uncommon. It follows the broader English and American habit of using a family surname as a first name, often to preserve a mother's or grandmother's family name. The surname also appears in public life: Philip C. Jessup (1897 - 1986) was an American diplomat and a judge on the International Court of Justice, and the international law moot court competition named for him keeps the name familiar to law students. Towns in the United States, including Jessup in Maryland and Jessup in Pennsylvania, carry the surname as well.
How Popular is the Name Jessup?
Jessup has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1995. Its best rank was #3,055 in 1995.
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 | #10,145 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #8,543 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2022 | #9,374 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #12,988 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2020 | #7,774 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2019 | #8,497 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2017 | #6,882 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2016 | #9,234 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2015 | #6,863 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2014 | #10,127 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #9,176 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2012 | #9,249 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #9,147 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #6,877 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2009 | #9,390 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #8,629 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #6,427 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 2005 | #5,715 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2004 | #6,316 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2003 | #6,960 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #6,767 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2001 | #4,207 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2000 | #6,546 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1999 | #4,232 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1998 | #3,542 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1997 | #6,901 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1996 | #5,020 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1995 | #3,055 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 1994 | #4,188 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1993 | #3,434 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1992 | #5,416 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1991 | #3,390 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1990 | #6,098 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #4,644 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1988 | #4,033 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1986 | #5,083 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1985 | #4,489 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #3,506 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1980 | #3,343 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1979 | #3,449 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1978 | #5,395 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #4,650 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1974 | #5,582 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1948 | #3,923 | 5 | 0.0003% |
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 Jessup 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.
✦ Jessup's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Jessup's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.