2000
#5,348
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,996
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.22
Uncommon Last name
Jain
A surname of Indian origin referring to followers of Jainism, an ancient Indian religion that practices non-violence and asceticism.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 22,328 Americans carry the last name Jain. That puts it at #1,804 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,351 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jain 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 Jain with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
22K
1 in 15,351
Census rank
#1,804
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 19,471 bearers of the surname Jain in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1804th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jain, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jain
Among Census respondents with the surname Jain, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Jain 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 Jain surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.2% · 18,149
- White3.6% · 702
- Two or more races2.0% · 388
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 96
- Black or African American0.5% · 89
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 47
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jain
Jain 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
#3,094
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,626
+5,630 bearers (+93.9%)
Per 100,000 3.94
Rank movement Up 2,254 places
2020
#1,804
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,471
+7,845 bearers (+67.5%)
Per 100,000 6.51
Rank movement Up 1,290 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,348 | 5,996 | 2.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,094 | 11,626 | 3.94 | +5,630 bearers (+93.9%) | Up 2,254 places |
| 2020 | #1,804 | 19,471 | 6.51 | +7,845 bearers (+67.5%) | Up 1,290 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 Jain 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 | #3,094 | #1,804 | 41.7% |
| Count | 11,626 | 19,471 | 67.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.94 | 6.51 | 65.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jain bearers went from 11,626 to 19,471 (+67.5% change). The surname moved up 1,290 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,094 to #1,804.
FAQ
Jain surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jain?
Name Census estimates that about 22,328 living Americans carry the surname Jain. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,351 residents.
How common is Jain?
Jain ranks #1,804 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 19,471 people with the surname Jain. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (22,328), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Jain.
Has Jain become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jain went from 11,626 recorded bearers to 19,471. That is an increase of 7,845 (+67.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,094 to #1,804.
What does the Census say about the background of Jain?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jain, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Jain in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (18,149 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jain appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.2%), White (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Jain (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 Jain mean?
A surname of Indian origin referring to followers of Jainism, an ancient Indian religion that practices non-violence and asceticism. 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 Jain (6.51 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 Americans have the surname Jain?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.