Jess
First Name Meaning, Usage, Popularity & Related Names
Jess is a Hebrew name meaning “gift”. It is a common name, used by both boys and girls.
Meaning & Origin of the name Jess
Jess is a name of Hebrew origin, functioning as a shortened form of the name Jesse. The name derives from the Hebrew term yishai, which is traditionally interpreted as gift or God's gift. It appears in the Old Testament as the name of the father of King David, providing it with deep historical roots.
Meaning Comments
- Mythologist1: Horrible name.
- Xmattman13x: People are getting confused about genders now. I think that: Jesse is for a boy, Jessie for a girl, and Jess is unisex.
- Mythraswrath: Cute name. Much better than Jessica and Jessie.
Gender Usage of the Name Jess
Overall Gender Classification Methodology
Jess is generally considered a unisex name, although one gender is somewhat more common. Current records show 68.74% male and 31.26% female bearers. This classification is supported by extensive records and is considered highly reliable.
Popularity of the Name Jess
Note: Green bars show popularity (% of births); the violet line shows historical ranking. Data is based on official government birth records. Click any chart to view details by year and region.
Overall PopularityMethodology
Jess is listed under Common Unisex Names worldwide. Its overall popularity is supported by stronger usage in United Kingdom across the available regional markets.
| Region | Popularity | Birth Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Uncommon | 1 in every 241K births |
| United Kingdom | Popular | 1 in every 3.2K births |
| Canada | Common | 1 in every 132K births |
| Australia | Common | 1 in every 212K births |
Ranking OverviewMethodology
Jess ranked #629 on the Popular Unisex Names Worldwide List (2025). It fell from #55 in 2024 — a drop of 574 places. Jess maintains a steady presence among commonly used names.
Historically, its best recorded position was #7 in 1915. Its lowest recorded position was #629 in 2025. Over the last 5 years (2020–2025) the name fell -549 places (from #80 to #629).
Name StyleMethodology
Jess is classified as Timeless Unisex Names because it appears across 100% of recorded years, averages 242 births per year over its full timeline, and still averages 479 births per year recently.Characteristics of the Name Jess
Pronunciation & StructureMethodology
- Phonetic Source
- CMU
- Syllables
- 1 syllable — One-Syllable Unisex Names
- Length
- 4 letters — Short Unisex Names
- Starts with
- J — Unisex Names Starting with J
- Ends with
- s — Unisex Names Ending in “s”
Name AestheticMethodology
Jess is defined by its single-syllable, abrupt structure and lack of vocalic framing. It occupies a Soft & Gentle and Cute & Playful space due to its casual brevity. This concise phonetic footprint aligns with its widespread usage as an approachable nickname in contemporary settings.
Middle Names For Jess
Middle names used with JessMethodology
Jess is most frequently used with these unisex middle names: Jess Lee · Jess Porter · Jess Taylor · Jess Emery · Jess CarrollView all 31 unisex middle names.
- Total 125 middle names used with Jess
- 72 boy middle names used with Jess
- 21 girl middle names used with Jess
Middle name suggestions for JessMethodology
Based on observed first-middle-name pattern combinations, Jess is most frequently associated with unisex middle names that have 2 syllables, Strong–Weak stress pattern, 6 letters, and a starting sound of “l”.
Examples: Jess Leslie · Jess Lawson · Jess Lavern · Jess Layton · Jess Latham. View all 191 suggested middle names.
Names Similar to Jess
Sound Like Jess Finder
Names with the exact same overall pronunciation and sound: Jessie · Jessy · Jaziah · View all 17 names
Spelled Like Jess Finder
Names with similar spelling patterns and letter sequences: Jessy · Jesy · Jass
Same Starting Sound Finder
Names that begin with a similar phonetic sound: Jamie · Jessie · Jackie · View all Top 100 names
Rhymes With Jess Finder
Names that share similar ending sounds and rhymes: Reese · Laurence · Phoenix · View all Top 100 names
Same Rhythm & Syllables Finder
Names with matching syllable stress and pronunciation rhythm: Quinn · Jan · Reese · View all Top 100 names
Dictionary & Etymology of “Jess”
Dictionary Meaning of "Jess"Methodology
A diminutive of the male given name Jesse
A diminutive of the female given names Jessica or Jessamy
Examples
- ‘Now then Kit,’ said Mr Parkinson, ‘look sharp! Help Jess up. Where has she got to?’ ‘Here I am!’ said Jessamy breathlessly as “helped” rather to vigorously from behind by Kit, she arrived on her knees on the floor of the dog cart.
- ‘It’s almost as if we’ve gone silly with happiness,’ said Marcus two days later. ‘Everyone in the house going round grinning like a lot of Cheshire Cats! The family I mean.’ ‘And Jess,’ said Kitto quickly. ‘Oh well, Jess is as good as family,’ said Fanny comfortably. Jessamy said nothing, but she looked up quickly and her smile would have rivalled any Cheshire Cat.
More Info
How to Spell Jess in ASL
- J
- e
- s
- s
Comments on the name Jess
Community CommentsShowing 5 of 14 comments
The_old_s0n
In 2018, 32 is the most common age for an American (U.S.) Jess* who is registered male with the Social Security Administration. It is the 1600th most common male first name for living U.S. citizens. *as a first name, not a nickname.
Drdragonclaw
Jess is the pink penguin from the YouTube music channel Badanamu.
Sumeralltime
Jess Sum Cheuk-ying (traditional Chinese: 沈卓盈) is a Hong Kong actress previously under TVB.
Zeusfight816
Jess Whitehouse is a character in The Dawn of the Doctor created by Dw2012.
Fp_nbk22kq_z
The main character of the novel Stone Butch Blues is called Jess. Jess is a butch. The author, Leslie Feinberg, saw butch as a gender that is neither male nor female.