Jesse 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.
Biblical namesake: Jesse was the father of King David and is remembered as an ancestor of the royal line of Judah. His family is central to the story of David's rise to kingship. (1 Samuel · 1 Samuel 16, Ruth 4:17)
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