2000
#5,268
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,077
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.25
Rare Last name
Jacks
Derived from the Middle English given name Jacke, a diminutive form of John, or referring to someone who made jacks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,711 Americans carry the last name Jacks. That puts it at #5,710 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 51,074 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jacks 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Jacks with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.7K
1 in 51,074
Census rank
#5,710
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,852 bearers of the surname Jacks in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5710th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jacks, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.8%. The next largest groups are Black (14.3%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jacks
The surname Jacks is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the medieval English given name "Jack," which was a diminutive form of the name John. It was initially used as a nickname or descriptive surname to identify someone who was the son or servant of a person named John.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Jacks surname can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Jackes." This historical document was a survey of landholders in England compiled during the reign of King Edward I. The surname is also mentioned in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, indicating its presence in the northern regions of England.
In the 14th century, the Jacks surname was often associated with places or localities bearing similar names. For instance, there are references to individuals from the village of Jacks Arbor in Oxfordshire, which may have influenced the surname's spelling and pronunciation over time.
Several notable individuals throughout history have borne the Jacks surname. One of the earliest recorded was Robert Jacks (c. 1350 - 1420), a prominent merchant and landowner from Somerset. Another historical figure was Sir William Jacks (c. 1510 - 1584), a English soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, the Jacks surname gained prominence with the birth of Richard Jacks (1628 - 1708), a renowned English clergyman and theologian who served as the Dean of Worcester. Another significant individual was Samuel Jacks (1785 - 1853), a British banker and philanthropist who contributed significantly to the development of educational institutions in London.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Jacks surname spread beyond England, with several individuals making their mark in various fields. One notable figure was Thomas Jacks (1743 - 1819), a Scottish-born merchant and industrialist who played a crucial role in the development of the cotton industry in Manchester, England.
Over the centuries, the Jacks surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Jackes, Jackis, and Jakes, reflecting the evolution of language and regional dialects. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained largely unchanged, tracing its roots back to the medieval English given name John.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jacks
Among Census respondents with the surname Jacks, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.8%. The next largest groups are Black (14.3%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Jacks 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 Jacks surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.8% · 4,497
- Black or African American14.3% · 839
- Two or more races3.6% · 213
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 202
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 48
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jacks
Jacks 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
#5,813
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,946
-131 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 2.02
Rank movement Down 545 places
2020
#5,710
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,852
-94 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 1.96
Rank movement Up 103 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,268 | 6,077 | 2.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,813 | 5,946 | 2.02 | -131 bearers (-2.2%) | Down 545 places |
| 2020 | #5,710 | 5,852 | 1.96 | -94 bearers (-1.6%) | Up 103 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 Jacks 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 | #5,813 | #5,710 | 1.8% |
| Count | 5,946 | 5,852 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.02 | 1.96 | -3.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jacks bearers went from 5,946 to 5,852 (-1.6% change). The surname moved up 103 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,813 to #5,710.
FAQ
Jacks surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jacks?
Name Census estimates that about 6,711 living Americans carry the surname Jacks. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 51,074 residents.
How common is Jacks?
Jacks ranks #5,710 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.96 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,852 people with the surname Jacks. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,711), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.96 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Jacks.
Has Jacks become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jacks went from 5,946 recorded bearers to 5,852. That is a decrease of 94 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,813 to #5,710.
What does the Census say about the background of Jacks?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jacks, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.8%. The next largest groups are Black (14.3%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Jacks in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.8% (4,497 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jacks appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.8%), Black (14.3%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Jacks (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 Jacks mean?
Derived from the Middle English given name Jacke, a diminutive form of John, or referring to someone who made jacks. 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 Jacks (1.96 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 Americans have the surname Jacks?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.