2000
#14,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,969
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.73
Rare Last name
Jaco
Derived from the given name Jacob, meaning "supplanter" or "one who follows."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,573 Americans carry the last name Jaco. That puts it at #13,063 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 133,212 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jaco 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
2.6K
1 in 133,212
Census rank
#13,063
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,244 bearers of the surname Jaco in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13063rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jaco, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (26.2%) and Black (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jaco
The surname Jaco originated in Spain and is derived from the personal name Jacob, which has its roots in the Hebrew name Ya'akov, meaning "supplanter" or "one who follows." The name gained prominence in Spain during the Middle Ages and was often associated with the Jewish community in the region.
Jaco is believed to have emerged as a surname in the 13th century, with early records indicating its use in various parts of Spain, particularly in the regions of Aragon and Catalonia. It is likely that the name was initially adopted by individuals who had converted from Judaism to Christianity during the Inquisition era, as they took on surnames derived from their former given names.
In the 14th century, the name Jaco appeared in several historical documents from the Kingdom of Aragon, including tax records and municipal registers. One notable mention is found in the Archivo de la Corona de Aragón, which references a certain Juan Jaco, a merchant from the city of Barcelona, who lived during the late 1300s.
As the name spread across Spain, it also underwent variations in spelling, such as Jacco, Jacó, and Jacó. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and linguistic differences within the Spanish territories.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Jaco was Hernán Jaco, a Spanish explorer who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. Another notable figure was Juan Jaco de Espinosa, a prominent architect from Toledo who designed several churches and public buildings in the city during the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the name gained further recognition with the birth of Diego Jaco de Silva (1619-1689), a renowned Spanish painter known for his religious works and portraits of nobility. His artistic contributions are still celebrated in various museums and galleries across Spain.
Another significant bearer of the surname was María Jaco de la Vega (1668-1738), a Spanish playwright and poet who wrote several popular comedies and plays during the Golden Age of Spanish literature. Her works were widely acclaimed and influential in the development of Spanish theater.
As the surname spread beyond Spain, it also found its way to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas through Spanish colonization and migration. For example, in the late 18th century, there was a notable Jaco family in the Spanish colony of Louisiana, with several members holding prominent positions in the local government and military.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jaco
Among Census respondents with the surname Jaco, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (26.2%) and Black (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Jaco 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 Jaco surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.7% · 1,452
- Hispanic or Latino26.2% · 587
- Black or African American3.7% · 82
- Two or more races3.4% · 77
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jaco
Jaco 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
#13,551
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,237
+268 bearers (+13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Up 493 places
2020
#13,063
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,244
+7 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Up 488 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,044 | 1,969 | 0.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,551 | 2,237 | 0.76 | +268 bearers (+13.6%) | Up 493 places |
| 2020 | #13,063 | 2,244 | 0.75 | +7 bearers (+0.3%) | Up 488 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 Jaco 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 | #13,551 | #13,063 | 3.6% |
| Count | 2,237 | 2,244 | 0.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.76 | 0.75 | -1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jaco bearers went from 2,237 to 2,244 (+0.3% change). The surname moved up 488 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,551 to #13,063.
FAQ
Jaco surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jaco?
Name Census estimates that about 2,573 living Americans carry the surname Jaco. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 133,212 residents.
How common is Jaco?
Jaco ranks #13,063 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,244 people with the surname Jaco. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,573), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Jaco.
Has Jaco become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jaco went from 2,237 recorded bearers to 2,244. That is an increase of 7 (+0.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,551 to #13,063.
What does the Census say about the background of Jaco?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jaco, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (26.2%) and Black (3.7%). 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 Jaco in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.7% (1,452 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jaco appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.7%), Hispanic (26.2%), Black (3.7%). 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 Jaco (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 Jaco mean?
Derived from the given name Jacob, meaning "supplanter" or "one who follows." 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 Jaco (0.75 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 are called Jaco?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Jaco on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.