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At a Glance: Name: Jessa – Origin: English (modern coinage, from Jessie + -a, 20th century) – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: JEH-sah
Jessa is pronounced JEH-sah, and it's a modern coinage rather than an ancient name — it was formed in the 20th century by adding -a to Jessie. You may see it credited with the Hebrew meaning 'God beholds,' but that's actually borrowed from Jessica; Jessa itself doesn't have a direct Hebrew root.
Meaning & Origin of Jessa
Origin: English (modern coinage, from Jessie + -a, 20th century).
A common claim: 'God beholds' (Hebrew) Actually: Jessa is often given the Hebrew meaning 'God beholds,' borrowed from Jessica, but Wiktionary traces it instead to a 20th-century English coinage from Jessie + -a, with no Hebrew root of its own.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Jessa
Phonetic: JEH-sah IPA: /ˈdʒɛsə/
Popularity of Jessa
Jessa peaked at #545 in 2015, when 572 girls were given the name, but by 2024 it had fallen to #2041 with just 95 babies.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1918–2024.
Make Jessa Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Jessa, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Jessa mean?
‘God beholds’ (Hebrew) Jessa is often given the Hebrew meaning ‘God beholds,’ borrowed from Jessica, but Wiktionary traces it instead to a 20th-century English coinage from Jessie + -a, with no Hebrew root of its own.
How do you pronounce Jessa?
Jessa is pronounced JEH-sah (IPA: /ˈdʒɛsə/).
Is Jessa a popular name right now?
Jessa peaked at #545 in 2015 and is ranked #2041 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1918–2024.)
📊 How popular is Jessa? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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