On “Gilmore Girls,” Luke’s troubled nephew Jess’ last name is Mariano.
Jess Mariano is introduced in the second season as the rebellious teenage son of Luke Danes’ sister, Liz. After Liz struggles to manage him in New York, she sends Jess to Stars Hollow to live with Luke. Their relationship is tense because Luke becomes responsible for Jess while trying to protect the town—and Rory—from Jess’ impulsive behavior.
Jess quickly becomes an important part of Rory Gilmore’s story. He and Rory share a strong literary connection and eventually date, creating friction with Rory’s boyfriend Dean Forester. Jess’ full name is consistently given as Jess Mariano; he is not a Gilmore, despite his close ties to Luke and the show’s title family. His father is Jimmy Mariano, who is largely absent during Jess’ upbringing.
A common mix-up is confusing Jess’ surname with Luke’s surname, Danes. Jess is Luke’s nephew through Luke’s sister Liz, so the two characters do not share a last name. Jess later matures into a writer and editor, returning in later episodes and in “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” as a more stable, thoughtful figure.