Jaiteh last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Jaiteh

A surname of Gambian/Senegambian origin meaning "first born" or "leader".

Jaiteh, 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 Jaiteh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jaiteh in America

Jaiteh is the 71478th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jaiteh surname appeared 273 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 Jaiteh.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jaiteh 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 71478 134037 -60.88%
Count 273 116 80.72%
Proportion per 100k 0.09 0.04 76.92%

The history of the last name Jaiteh

The surname Jaiteh originates from The Gambia, a small West African nation. It is believed to have emerged during the 16th century, when various ethnic groups inhabited the region. The name likely derives from the Mandinka language, spoken by the Mandinka people, one of the largest ethnic groups in The Gambia.

Some historical records suggest that the name Jaiteh may have been associated with individuals residing in the Wuli Kingdom, a pre-colonial kingdom located in the eastern part of The Gambia. Unfortunately, there are limited written records from this period, making it challenging to pinpoint the exact origin and meaning of the name.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Jaiteh can be found in the chronicles of the Kaabu Empire, a powerful West African empire that ruled over parts of modern-day Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and The Gambia. These chronicles, dating back to the 17th century, reference individuals bearing the name Jaiteh among the elite class of the empire.

In the 18th century, the name Jaiteh appears in records related to the Atlantic slave trade, as some individuals with this surname were forcibly transported to the Americas during this period. This tragic chapter in history has contributed to the dispersal of the name across various regions of the world.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Jaiteh include Fatou Jaiteh (1940-2017), a Gambian politician and women's rights activist, who served as the first female Speaker of the National Assembly of The Gambia. Another prominent figure is Madi Jaiteh (1924-2010), a renowned Gambian historian and educator, who played a crucial role in preserving the cultural heritage of The Gambia.

In the field of literature, Baba Jaiteh (1948-2018) was a celebrated Gambian writer and poet, known for his works that explored the complexities of Gambian society and culture. Baba Saidykhan Jaiteh (1951-2022) was a prominent Gambian lawyer and human rights activist, who played a significant role in the country's legal and political landscape.

Additionally, Momodou Jaiteh (born 1964) is a renowned Gambian artist, whose vibrant paintings and sculptures have garnered international recognition, depicting the rich cultural traditions and landscapes of his homeland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jaiteh

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

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 Jaiteh was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 2.93% 8
Non-Hispanic Black Only 93.41% 255
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.83% 5
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Jaiteh has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 2.93% 5.17% -55.31%
Black 93.41% 94.83% -1.51%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.00% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 1.83% 0.00% 200.00%
Hispanic (S)% 0.00% (S)%

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

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

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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!

"Jaiteh last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 13, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/jaiteh-surname-popularity/.

"Jaiteh last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/jaiteh-surname-popularity/. Accessed 13 December, 2024

Jaiteh last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/jaiteh-surname-popularity/.

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