The name Jesse has two meanings:
1. As a masculine name it comes from the Hebrew name Yishay meaning "gift".
2. As a feminine name it can be a variant of Jessie.
Famous bearers
In the Old Testament Jesse was the father of King David.
Bearers include Jesse B. Oldendorf (1887 - 1974), an American admiral;
Jesse Owens (1913 - 1980), an American male Olympic track and field athlete;
Jesse McCartney (born 1987), an American male singer, songwriter, and actor;
Jesse Lee (born 1987), an American female singer.
