Find out how popular the last name Jacobson is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Jacobson.

Jacobson, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Jacobson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jacobson in America

Jacobson is the 767th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jacobson surname appeared 44,808 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 15 people would have the surname Jacobson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jacobson to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Jacobson

The surname Jacobson has its origins in the Scandinavian countries, primarily Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It is derived from the personal name Jacob, which is a biblical name meaning "supplanter" or "one who follows." The patronymic suffix "-son" was added to the name, indicating a son or descendant of someone named Jacob.

The earliest recorded instances of the Jacobson surname can be traced back to the 13th century in Scandinavian countries. These early records often feature variations in spelling, such as Jacobsen, Jakobsen, and Jakopson, due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.

In Denmark, the Jacobson surname has a long and distinguished history. One notable figure was Søren Jacobson (1617-1685), a Danish clergyman and religious writer who served as the Bishop of Viborg from 1679 until his death.

Norway has also produced several prominent individuals bearing the Jacobson surname. Among them was Hans Jacobson (1875-1958), a Norwegian explorer who participated in several Antarctic expeditions, including Roald Amundsen's successful journey to the South Pole in 1911.

In Sweden, the Jacobson surname can be traced back to the 16th century. One notable Swedish Jacobson was Johan Jacobson (1809-1892), a renowned architect who designed several iconic buildings in Stockholm, including the Royal Swedish Opera House.

The Jacobson surname eventually spread beyond Scandinavia as individuals emigrated to other parts of Europe and North America. One notable example is the American author and journalist Joseph Jacobson (1853-1928), who wrote extensively about the immigrant experience in the United States.

Another influential figure with the Jacobson surname was Moses Jacobson (1869-1947), a Lithuanian-born American businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Jacobson Clothing Company and was a prominent supporter of Jewish causes and organizations.

In the United Kingdom, the Jacobson surname has been present since the 19th century, likely introduced by Scandinavian immigrants. One notable British Jacobson was Sir Max Jacobson (1900-1979), a physician known for his controversial "vitamin injections" that were popular among celebrities and public figures.

While the Jacobson surname has its roots in Scandinavia, it has since become a widespread surname found in many parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns of individuals and families over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jacobson

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Jacobson.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Jacobson was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Jacobson has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Jacobson was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Jacobson, please contact us.

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