Jesse (English)

Where does "Jesse" come from?

The English name 'Jesse' derives ultimately from the Hebrew given name 'Yishai'[1]. Through biblical tradition, the name passed into Ancient Greek as 'Iessaí'[1], which served as the source for its eventual adoption into English. In biblical history, the name refers to the son of Obed and the father of King David[1].

Full etymology tree

• Jesse (English), 'The son of Obed and the father of king David.'
  • inherited Ἰεσσαί (Iessaí) (Ancient Greek), 'Jesse'
    • borrowed יִשַׁי (yishái) (Biblical Hebrew)

Ancestors

• Ἰεσσαί (Ancient Greek)

Sources

1. Jesse (English) - Wiktionary
2. Ἰεσσαί (Iessaí) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris