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

Jain, 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 Jain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jain in America

Jain is the 3094th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jain surname appeared 11,626 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Jain.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jain 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 Jain

The surname Jain is of Indian origin and is derived from the Sanskrit word "jina", which means "conqueror" or "victor". The name is associated with the Jain religious community, one of the oldest religions in India.

The Jain community traces its roots back to the 6th century BCE and the teachings of Mahavira, the last of the 24 Tirthankaras (spiritual leaders) revered by Jains. The name Jain is believed to have originated during this period as a way to identify those who followed the teachings of Mahavira and embraced the principles of non-violence, truthfulness, and non-possession.

Historically, the Jain community has been concentrated in various regions of India, including Gujarat, Rajasthan, and parts of Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. The surname Jain is particularly common among the Digambar and Shvetambar sects of Jainism.

One of the earliest known references to the name Jain can be found in ancient Hindu scriptures and religious texts, such as the Puranas and the Upanishads, which mention the Jain community and their beliefs.

Some notable individuals with the surname Jain throughout history include:

1. Vimalasuri (5th century CE), a renowned Jain scholar and author of the Prakrit text "Paüma Cariya".
2. Haribhadra Suri (6th century CE), a prominent Jain philosopher and author of several influential works on Jain doctrine.
3. Siddharaj Jayasinh Jain (1619-1688), a wealthy Jain merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of several Jain temples in India.
4. Virji Vithaldas Jain (1869-1929), a prominent industrialist and philanthropist who established the Virji Vithaldas Jain Sansthan, a charitable trust in Mumbai.
5. Lal Chand Jain (1869-1948), a Jain scholar and author who wrote extensively on Jain philosophy and literature.

The surname Jain has been associated with various place names and older spellings over time, reflecting the geographical spread of the Jain community across India. Some examples include Jainpura, Jaisalmer, and Jaipur, all of which have strong Jain influences and historical connections.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jain

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

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

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

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