Jessie
Say it: JESS-ee
Girl and boyMeans a pet form of Jessica or Jean6 letters2 syllables
#352
in Ireland (2025)
#353 with spellings combined
11
babies in 2025
#229
best rank (2002)
400
babies since 1975
Down 109
10-year rank change
Jessie through the years
Compare with another name →girlsboys
Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11 | #353 | - | - |
| 2024 | 14 | #298 | - | - |
| 2023 | 10 | #358 | - | - |
| 2022 | 15 | #288 | - | - |
| 2021 | 10 | #389 | - | - |
| 2020 | 19 | #231 | - | - |
| 2019 | 8 | #456 | - | - |
| 2018 | 16 | #276 | - | - |
| 2017 | 11 | #368 | - | - |
| 2016 | 12 | #360 | - | - |
| 2015 | 21 | #244 | 3 | #699 |
| 2014 | 13 | #353 | - | - |
| 2013 | 17 | #287 | - | - |
| 2012 | 15 | #338 | - | - |
| 2011 | 18 | #285 | - | - |
| 2010 | 9 | #477 | 3 | #720 |
| 2009 | 14 | #331 | 3 | #701 |
| 2008 | 8 | #504 | - | - |
| 2007 | 7 | #506 | - | - |
| 2006 | 10 | #369 | 3 | #595 |
| 2005 | 11 | #320 | - | - |
| 2004 | 15 | #242 | - | - |
| 2003 | 7 | #403 | - | - |
| 2002 | 16 | #229 | - | - |
| 2001 | 7 | #369 | 4 | #347 |
| 2000 | 7 | #353 | 4 | #347 |
| 1999 | 3 | #527 | 4 | #330 |
| 1998 | 8 | #293 | - | - |
| 1997 | 13 | #275 | 4 | #337 |
| 1996 | 8 | #333 | 3 | #369 |
| 1995 | 5 | #417 | - | - |
| 1994 | 6 | #374 | - | - |
| 1993 | 4 | #448 | - | - |
| 1992 | 8 | #339 | - | - |
| 1991 | 4 | #457 | - | - |
| 1990 | 6 | #380 | 3 | #323 |
| 1989 | 4 | #445 | - | - |
| 1986 | 4 | #458 | - | - |
| 1983 | 3 | #529 | - | - |
| 1975 | 3 | #503 | - | - |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Jessie mean?
A pet form of Jessica or Jean
English and Scottish, a pet form of Jessica, and earlier of Jean or Janet.
Say it right
JESSee
The story of Jessie
Jessie has more than one root. In Scotland it was long a pet form of Jean and Janet, both of which go back to John. Today it is more often taken as a short form of Jessica, a name first used by Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice. It is also sometimes a spelling of the boys’ name Jesse, from a Hebrew name borne by the father of King David.
In Ireland Jessie is mainly a girls’ name. It first appears in the CSO records in 1975 and grew slowly from there. Its best year was 2015, with 21 girls. A small number of boys were also named Jessie between the 1990s and the 2010s.
The name has a similar following in Northern Ireland, where its best rank was number 134 in 2017. In the Republic 11 girls were named Jessie in 2025.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Jessie (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Jessie (given name)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Nicknames
Jess
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Jessie | 11 | 400 |
In Northern Ireland
#334 in 2025 with 4 babies. Best rank #134 (2017); 150 babies since 1998.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.
Jessie is also given to boys: 34 since 1990.