2000
#695
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 44,874
First available Census row
Per 100,000 16.63
Uncommon Last name
Jacobson
Son of Jacob, an English patronymic surname derived from the Biblical personal name Jacob, meaning "supplanter" in Hebrew.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 49,062 Americans carry the last name Jacobson. That puts it at #787 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 14.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 6,986 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jacobson 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 Jacobson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
49K
1 in 6,986
Census rank
#787
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
14.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
43K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 42,784 bearers of the surname Jacobson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 14.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 787th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jacobson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jacobson
Among Census respondents with the surname Jacobson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Jacobson 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 Jacobson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 39,157
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 1,402
- Two or more races3.2% · 1,353
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 436
- Black or African American0.5% · 231
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 205
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jacobson
Jacobson 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
#767
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 44,808
-66 bearers (-0.1%)
Per 100,000 15.19
Rank movement Down 72 places
2020
#787
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 42,784
-2,024 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 14.31
Rank movement Down 20 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #695 | 44,874 | 16.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #767 | 44,808 | 15.19 | -66 bearers (-0.1%) | Down 72 places |
| 2020 | #787 | 42,784 | 14.31 | -2,024 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 20 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 Jacobson 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 | #767 | #787 | -2.6% |
| Count | 44,808 | 42,784 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 15.19 | 14.31 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jacobson bearers went from 44,808 to 42,784 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 20 positions in the national ranking, going from #767 to #787.
FAQ
Jacobson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jacobson?
Name Census estimates that about 49,062 living Americans carry the surname Jacobson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 6,986 residents.
How common is Jacobson?
Jacobson ranks #787 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 14.31 per 100,000 residents, which is about 14 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 42,784 people with the surname Jacobson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (49,062), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 14.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 14.31 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 14 of them to have the surname Jacobson.
Has Jacobson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jacobson went from 44,808 recorded bearers to 42,784. That is a decrease of 2,024 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #767 to #787.
What does the Census say about the background of Jacobson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jacobson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Jacobson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (39,157 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jacobson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Jacobson (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 Jacobson mean?
Son of Jacob, an English patronymic surname derived from the Biblical personal name Jacob, meaning "supplanter" in Hebrew. 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 Jacobson (14.31 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 have the last name Jacobson?
Want to know how many people are called Jacobson? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.