2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Jacklyn
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Seaghlainn meaning "descendant of a proud person".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Jacklyn. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jacklyn surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Jacklyn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jacklyn, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.0%. The next largest groups are Black (28.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jacklyn
The surname Jacklyn is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be a variant of the name Jackson, which itself is derived from the personal name "Jack," a diminutive form of the name John. The suffix "-son" was commonly added to personal names to denote "son of," indicating that the original bearers of the name were the sons of men named Jack.
The earliest recorded use of the name Jacklyn can be found in historical records dating back to the 13th century. One of the earliest known instances is in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a Hugo Jakelyn. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records compiled in England during the reign of King Edward I.
Another early reference to the name Jacklyn can be found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire, from the early 14th century. These records document the legal proceedings and transactions within the manor, and include mentions of individuals named Jacklyn.
In the 15th century, the name Jacklyn is recorded in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence between members of the influential Paston family of Norfolk. One letter from 1472 refers to a man named John Jacklyn, who was involved in a legal dispute over property.
During the Tudor period, the name Jacklyn appeared in various historical records, such as the Musters Rolls, which listed able-bodied men for military service. In 1539, a Robert Jacklyn is recorded as a resident of Thetford, Norfolk.
Other notable individuals with the surname Jacklyn throughout history include:
1. Thomas Jacklyn (c. 1590 - 1663), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Rector of Stanwick, Northamptonshire.
2. Mary Jacklyn (b. 1654), one of the first female settlers in the British colony of Virginia, who arrived in Jamestown in 1620.
3. William Jacklyn (1728 - 1795), a prominent merchant and landowner in colonial Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
4. Elizabeth Jacklyn (1800 - 1878), an English author and poet who published several works of fiction and poetry in the 19th century.
5. John Jacklyn (1845 - 1921), a British army officer who served in the Boer War and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his bravery.
While the surname Jacklyn has evolved over centuries and spread across various regions, its roots can be traced back to medieval England, reflecting the rich history and cultural influences that have shaped this distinctive family name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jacklyn
Among Census respondents with the surname Jacklyn, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.0%. The next largest groups are Black (28.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Jacklyn bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Jacklyn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.0% · 68
- Black or African American28.0% · 28
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jacklyn
Jacklyn appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+10 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 489 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-22 bearers (-18.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 18,355 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+8.9%) | Up 489 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -22 bearers (-18.0%) | Down 18,355 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Jacklyn surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #137,327 | #155,682 | -13.4% |
| Count | 122 | 100 | -18.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jacklyn bearers went from 122 to 100 (-18.0% change). The surname moved down 18,355 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #155,682.
FAQ
Jacklyn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jacklyn?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Jacklyn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Jacklyn?
Jacklyn ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 100 people with the surname Jacklyn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Jacklyn.
Has Jacklyn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jacklyn went from 122 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 22 (-18.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Jacklyn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jacklyn, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.0%. The next largest groups are Black (28.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Jacklyn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.0% (68 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jacklyn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.0%), Black (28.0%), Hispanic (3.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Jacklyn (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Jacklyn mean?
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Seaghlainn meaning "descendant of a proud person". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Jacklyn (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Jacklyn?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.