Yesenia is a Spanish name of uncertain origin, most often linked to Jessenia, a genus of South American palms, and so read as "palm tree". It swept Mexico and the United States after the 1970 telenovela Yesenia and its 1971 film version, which told the story of a young woman raised by Gypsies. In the United States Yesenia ranked number 248 in 2000 but has since fallen out of the top 1000 to number 1901 in 2025.