Meaning & Origin
A diminutive of the male given name Jesse.
Jess is a boy's and girl's baby name of Hebrew origin, a diminutive of Jesse, from the Hebrew Yishai, meaning 'gift' or 'God exists.' In the Bible, Jesse was the father of King David — making this a name of royal lineage.
With over 25,000 recorded births, Jess carries the effortless charm of a nickname that became a full name in its own right. It's equally at home on a girl or a boy, and it has a punchy, friendly simplicity that longer names simply can't replicate. Like Sam or Lee, it's a name that never needs to apologize for being short.