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

Jaén, 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 Jaén surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jaén in America

Jaén is the 37544th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jaén surname appeared 593 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Jaén.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jaén 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 Jaén

The surname "JAEN" is of Spanish origin, derived from the name of the city of Jaén in southern Spain. The city's name itself is believed to have originated from the Arabic word "Jayyan," meaning "crossroads" or "meeting place."

During the Moorish occupation of Spain, which lasted from the 8th to the 15th century, the city of Jaén played a significant role as a major cultural and economic center. It is likely that the surname "JAEN" emerged during this period, initially used by individuals or families residing in or associated with the city.

The earliest known recorded instances of the surname "JAEN" can be traced back to the 14th century, appearing in various documents and records from the region of Andalusia, where the city of Jaén is located. One notable example is Juan de Jaen, a poet and writer who lived in the late 14th century and was known for his works in Galician-Portuguese poetry.

In the 15th century, as the Spanish Reconquista progressed and the Moorish influence waned, the surname "JAEN" began to spread across other parts of Spain. During this time, it was sometimes spelled differently, such as "Jahen" or "Xaen," reflecting the variations in regional dialects and pronunciation.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname "JAEN" was Pedro de Jaen, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Another notable figure was Juan de Jaen, a 16th-century Spanish painter who was active in Seville and known for his religious artwork.

In the 17th century, the surname "JAEN" gained prominence with individuals such as Diego de Jaen y Aguila, a Spanish military officer and governor of Panama, and Pedro de Jaen y Morales, a Jesuit missionary who worked in South America and wrote about the indigenous cultures of the region.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the surname "JAEN" spread to various parts of the Americas, where it continued to be used by individuals of Spanish descent. One notable bearer was Juan de Jaen y Vega, a 17th-century Spanish-Peruvian writer and poet who was born in Lima.

Over the centuries, the surname "JAEN" has been associated with numerous notable individuals across various fields, including literature, art, politics, and exploration, reflecting its deep roots and historical significance within Spanish culture and society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jaén

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

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 Jaén 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 Jaén 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 Jaén was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!