Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1915

Jess

Meaning Clipping of Jesse, Jessica, or Jessamy Gender Boy · 2% girls Rank 2025 #5,299 Trend ↓ Falling 11%

Clipping of Jesse, Jessica, or Jessamy.

Rank 2025
#5,299
among boys · ↓670 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
28
named Jess · -3% vs 2024
How common
1 in 94,893
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1915
584 babies
All-time total
25,550
#741 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Jess popularity over time

25,550 babies have been named Jess since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.380.751.131.518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s 16 1,182 1,198 120 – #109
1890s 23 1,013 1,036 104 -14% #128
1900s 12 897 909 91 -12% #164
1910s 32 2,974 3,006 301 +231% #193
1920s 36 2,653 2,689 269 -11% #317
1930s – 1,699 1,699 170 -37% #405
1940s 5 1,998 2,003 200 +18% #422
1950s 5 2,447 2,452 245 +22% #443
1960s 5 2,315 2,320 232 -5% #464
1970s 32 2,781 2,813 281 +21% #425
1980s 64 2,565 2,629 263 -7% #462
1990s 89 1,424 1,513 151 -42% #694
2000s 93 681 774 77 -49% #1,488
2010s 29 305 334 33 -57% #3,078
2020s (to 2025) 46 129 175 29 -13% #4,164

The story of Jess

Jess is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #5,299 in 2025 with 18 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 25,550 American babies have been named Jess. Its peak came in 1915, when 584 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1910s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Jess stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Jess?

The median living Jess is about 50 years old; half are between 38 and 65. An estimated 13 thousand people named Jess are alive in the United States today.

median 50 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Jess year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 10 #9,747 18 #5,299
2024 7 #12,732 22 #4,629
2023 10 #9,918 25 #4,270
2022 8 #11,662 17 #5,526
2021 6 #14,252 25 #4,164
2020 5 #16,197 22 #4,483
2019 7 #13,040 23 #4,403
2018 – – 33 #3,411
2017 5 #17,007 22 #4,529
2016 – – 30 #3,638
2015 – – 35 #3,271
2014 5 #17,715 32 #3,416
2013 7 #13,816 28 #3,700
2012 – – 33 #3,330
2011 5 #18,013 37 #3,078
2010 – – 32 #3,412
2009 – – 45 #2,725
2008 10 #11,160 55 #2,361
2007 15 #8,287 66 #2,078
2006 10 #10,967 60 #2,159
2005 8 #12,343 79 #1,698
2004 9 #11,109 82 #1,599
2003 6 #14,666 65 #1,826
2002 13 #8,023 70 #1,688
2001 10 #9,697 82 #1,488
2000 12 #8,249 77 #1,559
1995 6 #12,429 136 #954
1990 9 #8,794 214 #694
1985 8 #7,868 262 #542
1980 – – 292 #496
1975 – – 283 #475
1970 – – 190 #590
1965 5 #6,931 183 #565
1960 – – 289 #467
1955 – – 267 #455
1950 – – 193 #482
1945 – – 167 #461
1940 – – 170 #445
1935 – – 167 #438
1930 – – 207 #406
1925 5 #5,366 269 #360
1920 9 #3,459 333 #317
1915 7 #3,609 577 #193
1910 – – 103 #231
1905 – – 85 #208
1900 6 #1,828 128 #164
1895 – – 102 #153
1890 5 #1,419 114 #128
1885 5 #1,118 119 #115
1880 – – 103 #128

Famous people named Jess

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Jess Glynne Jess Glynne British singer (born 1989) Contemporary
  2. 2 Jess Harnell Jess Harnell American voice actor and singer (born 1963) Contemporary
  3. 3 Jesús Vallejo Jesús Vallejo Spanish footballer (born 1997) Contemporary
  4. 4 Jesús Franco Jesús Franco Spanish filmmaker, composer, and actor (1930–2013) Contemporary
  5. 5 Jess Willard Jess Willard American boxer (1881–1968) 19th century
  6. 6 Jesús Gil Jesús Gil Spanish businessman & politician (1933–2004) Contemporary
  7. 7 Jesús Arellano Jesús Arellano Mexican footballer (born 1973) Contemporary
  8. 8 Jess Wade Jess Wade British physicist and science communicator (born 1988) Contemporary
  9. 9 Jesús Huerta de Soto Jesús Huerta de Soto Spanish economist of the Austrian School (born 1956) Contemporary
  10. 10 Jesús Gámez Jesús Gámez Spanish footballer (born 1985) Contemporary
  11. 11 Jesús Rafael Soto Jesús Rafael Soto Venezuelan artist 1923–2005 · Contemporary
  12. 12 Jesús María Satrústegui Jesús María Satrústegui Spanish footballer b. 1954 · Contemporary
  13. 13 Jesús Molina Jesús Molina Mexican footballer (born 1988) Contemporary
  14. 14 Jesús María Zamora Jesús María Zamora Spanish retired footballer b. 1955 · Contemporary
  15. 15 Jesús Fernández Collado Jesús Fernández Collado Spanish footballer b. 1988 · Contemporary
  16. 16 Jesús Dátolo Jesús Dátolo Argentine footballer (born 1984) Contemporary
  17. 17 Jesús Olmo Spanish footballer b. 1985 · Contemporary
  18. 18 Jesús Garay Jesús Garay Spanish footballer 1930–1995 · Contemporary
  19. 19 Jesús López Cobos Jesús López Cobos Spanish conductor (1940–2018) Contemporary
  20. 20 Jesús Iglesias Topics referred to by the same term 1922–2005 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Jess, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Jess?

The median living Jess is about 50 years old. Half of all living Jesss are between 38 and 65 years old.

How many people named Jess are alive today?

An estimated 13 thousand people named Jess are alive in the United States, based on 25,550 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Jess mean?

Clipping of Jesse, Jessica, or Jessamy.

How popular is the name Jess in 2025?

Jess ranked #5,299 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 18 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Jess?

25,550 babies have been named Jess in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Jess most popular?

Jess peaked in 1915, when 584 newborns received the name.

Is Jess a boy or girl name?

Jess is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 98% of babies with the name.

Is the name Jess rising or falling?

Jess is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Jess?

Well-known people named Jess include Jess Glynne (singer), Jess Harnell (actor), Jesús Vallejo (soccer player).

Names like Jess

Names that sound and feel close to Jess: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Jess with similar names → More names starting with J →