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

Jaenke, 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 Jaenke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jaenke in America

Jaenke is the 86314th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jaenke surname appeared 216 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 Jaenke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jaenke 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 Jaenke

The surname Jaenke is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is likely derived from the German word "Jenke," which was a diminutive form of the name Johannes (John). This suggests that the surname Jaenke may have been initially used as a patronymic, referring to the son or descendant of someone named Johannes.

One of the earliest known references to the name Jaenke can be found in the church records of the town of Köthen, located in the modern-day state of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. These records mention an individual named Hans Jaenke, who was born in the late 1500s.

In the 17th century, the surname Jaenke appears to have been particularly prevalent in the regions of Saxony and Brandenburg, with several individuals bearing this name being recorded in various municipal and parish documents from that time period.

One notable figure with the surname Jaenke was Johann Jaenke, a German composer and organist who lived from 1668 to 1721. He was renowned for his skilled organ playing and for composing several works for the instrument.

Another individual of historical significance was Christian Friedrich Jaenke, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1719 to 1786. He was a prominent figure in the German Enlightenment movement and authored several influential works on ethics and moral philosophy.

In the 19th century, the name Jaenke can be found in various records from the German states of Prussia and Saxony. One notable example is Karl Jaenke, a Prussian military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Iron Cross for his bravery in battle.

The surname Jaenke may also have been influenced by the place name "Jänkendorf," a small village located in the eastern part of Germany. It is possible that some individuals with the surname Jaenke may have originated from or had connections to this village, leading to the adoption of the name.

Throughout its history, the surname Jaenke has maintained a strong presence in Germany, with many individuals bearing this name contributing to various fields, including music, philosophy, and military service.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jaenke

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

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

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

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