Jessa
Girl name · #2223 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Jessa? In official American birth records, Jessa has been tracked continuously since 1918, giving it 107 years of documented American history.
Jessa is currently the #2223 girl name in the United States — 83 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #544, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 21,687 girls born in 2025 was named Jessa.
The 107-year story
Jessa first appears in the Social Security records in 1918, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2015, when 572 girls were named Jessa — good for #544 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Jessa per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Jessa against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Jessa in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Jessa is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Jessa will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Jessa is most common
State-level data for Jessa is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Jessa
Statistically, parents drawn to Jessa tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Nessa, Alessa, Janessa, Jaina, and Layna.
NessaAlessaJanessaJainaLaynaNavyaMearaJanyla
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Jessa | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 83 | #2214 |
| 2024 | 96 | #2033 |
| 2023 | 99 | #1984 |
| 2022 | 122 | #1710 |
| 2021 | 179 | #1284 |
| 2020 | 167 | #1318 |
| 2019 | 187 | #1247 |
| 2018 | 242 | #1057 |
| 2017 | 314 | #870 |
| 2016 | 433 | #675 |
| 2015 | 572 | #544 |
| 2014 | 332 | #834 |
| 2013 | 208 | #1152 |
| 2012 | 255 | #988 |
| 2011 | 222 | #1111 |
| 2010 | 242 | #1030 |
| 2009 | 196 | #1254 |
| 2008 | 124 | #1774 |
| 2007 | 145 | #1560 |
| 2006 | 138 | #1567 |
| 2005 | 90 | #2073 |
| 2004 | 116 | #1667 |
| 2003 | 92 | #1970 |
| 2002 | 78 | #2142 |
| 2001 | 98 | #1807 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Jessa?
In official American birth records, the name Jessa first appeared in 1918 (over 107 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 107 years.
Is Jessa a popular girl name?
Jessa ranked #2223 among girls in 2025 with 83 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #544.
When was the name Jessa most popular?
Jessa peaked in 2015, when 572 American girls received the name (ranked #544 that year). Since 2015 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Jessa?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 21,687 newborn American girls was named Jessa. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.