Jessie is a name of Scottish origin, derived from the English form of the Hebrew name Jesse. The name Jesse means "God's promise" or "God sees." It is believed to have been brought to Scotland by returning Crusaders who had encountered it in the Holy Land.
The name Jessie was popularized by Louisa May Alcott's novel Little Women, published in 1868. In the story, Jessie is one of the four March sisters and is portrayed as a thoughtful, independent, and adventurous young woman. The name gained further popularity with the release of the movie adaptation of Little Women in 1933.
Over time, Jessie has become a unisex name, although it was originally more commonly used for boys. Today, it is often used as a nickname for Jessica or other names beginning with the letter J.
Despite its Scottish origins and Hebrew roots, Jessie has been adopted by many cultures around the world. It is particularly popular in English-speaking countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In Scotland, however, the name remains relatively uncommon compared to other Scottish names like Cameron or Fraser.
The name Jessie experienced significant popularity fluctuations over the years, with a notable peak around the early 1900s. From 1912 to 1924, there were consistently high numbers of births named Jessie, reaching an all-time high of 1,473 births in 1919. However, after 1929, there was a steady decline in the popularity of the name, with only around 200 to 600 births per year from 1985 onwards. In recent years, Jessie has become even less common, with fewer than 200 babies named Jessie each year since 2010, and a low of just 133 births in 2023.