Jesse

  • [ JES-ee (English), YES-sə (Dutch) ]
  • English, Dutch, Biblical
From the Hebrew name יִשַׁי (Yishay) which possibly means "gift". In the Old Testament Jesse is the father of King David. It began to be used as an English given name after the Protestant Reformation. A famous bearer was Jesse James (1847-1882), an American outlaw who held up banks and stagecoaches. He was eventually shot by a fellow gang member for a reward. Another famous bearer was the American athlete Jesse Owens (1913-1980), whose real name was James Cleveland (or J. C.) Owens.

EQUIVALENTS
BIBLICAL HEBREW: Yishai
BIBLICAL: Jesse
DUTCH: Jesse
ENGLISH: Jesse, Jessie
HEBREW: Yishai
DIMINUTIVES AND SHORT FORMS
ENGLISH: Jess