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Jesse Family History

Jesse Name Meaning

North German: from a short form of the personal name Jesper a Low German form of Kaspar an equivalent of Casper . North German: variant of Jess . South German: from a shortened form of the personal name Johannes (see John ). English: from a pet form of the Middle English personal name Jessup a variant of Joseph . Pronunciation of the English surname as two syllables is the result of confusion of the written form of this name with the Biblical personal name Jesse (meaning ‘gift’ in Hebrew) the name of the father of King David (I Samuel 16). French: variant of Gesse from gesse ‘vetchling’ a metonymic occupational name for a grower of vetchling (a kind of edible plant formerly grown for its medicinal properties) or a topographic name for someone living in a place where such plants grew in abundance. This surname is rare in France.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Jessel, Jessen, Jeske, Jesser, Jenke, Besse, Sasse, Fosse, Beese

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Jesse family from?

You can see how Jesse families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Jesse family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Jesse families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 10 Jesse families living in Virginia. This was about 33% of all the recorded Jesse's in USA. Virginia had the highest population of Jesse families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Jesse surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Jesse ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Jesse. 22% of Jesse men worked as a Farmer and 10% of Jesse women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Jesse were Farm Laborer and Maid. .

View Census Data for Jesse | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    22%
  • Laborer
    17%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Farm Laborer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    10%
  • Teacher
    7%
  • Stenographer
    7%
  • Maid
    6%
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What Jesse family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 25,000 census records available for the last name Jesse. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Jesse census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Jesse. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 8,000 military records available for the last name Jesse. For the veterans among your Jesse ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Jesse lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Jesse life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 1967. The average life expectancy for Jesse in 1948 was 42, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Jesse

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