Jethero
A Hebrew masculine name meaning "His excellence" or "His abundance".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Jethero. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jethero today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jethero births was 1916 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jethero. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jethero. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1916
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1916 SSA rank
#4,208
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Jethero: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Jethero by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Jethero during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Jethero
The name Jethero is believed to have originated from the Hebrew language and culture, although its precise roots and meaning are somewhat obscure. Some scholars suggest that it may be derived from the Hebrew word "yeter," meaning "to remain" or "to excel," potentially indicating a sense of endurance or outstanding qualities.
Historically, the name Jethero does not appear to have been widely documented in ancient texts or religious scriptures. However, there are a few instances where variations of the name have been recorded, such as Jethro, which is found in the Bible as the name of Moses' father-in-law, a priest of Midian.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Jethero can be traced back to the 16th century, when a man named Jethero Batt was born in England around 1550. He was a prominent figure in the local community and served as a churchwarden in the parish of Ecclesfield, Yorkshire.
Another notable bearer of the name was Jethero Tull, an English agricultural pioneer who lived from 1674 to 1741. He is credited with developing and promoting new farming techniques, such as the seed drill and the horse-drawn hoe, which revolutionized agriculture in his time.
In the 19th century, Jethero Wood was a British architect and surveyor who made significant contributions to the design and construction of public buildings in London. He was born in 1804 and was involved in the restoration of several notable landmarks, including the Guildhall and St. Paul's Cathedral.
Jethero Ferguson, born in 1833 in Virginia, was a prominent figure in the American Civil War. He served as a Confederate officer and was instrumental in the defense of Charleston, South Carolina, during the Union's siege of the city.
Lastly, Jethero Sumner was an American author and educator who lived from 1892 to 1975. He is best known for his works on educational theory and his advocacy for progressive teaching methods, which influenced the field of education in the early 20th century.
While the name Jethero may not be as widely recognized as some other names, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.
People
Jethero + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jethero as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jethero: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jethero?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jethero going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Jethero a common name?
We classify Jethero as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jethero most popular?
The single biggest year for Jethero was 1916, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jethero is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Jethero in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jethero a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jethero in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Jethero still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jethero in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Jethero can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Jethero as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Jethero, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.