2000
#26,332
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 872
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.32
Rare Last name
Jalloh
A Fulani surname indicating descendance from the Diallo clan, who were renowned Islamic scholars and advisors to royalty.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,386 Americans carry the last name Jalloh. That puts it at #8,286 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 78,147 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jalloh 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 Jalloh with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 78,147
Census rank
#8,286
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,825 bearers of the surname Jalloh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8286th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jalloh, the largest self-reported group is Black at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.3%) and White (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jalloh
The surname Jalloh originates from the Fula people of West Africa, particularly from Guinea and surrounding regions. The name is believed to have originated in the 15th or 16th century. It is derived from the Fula word "jallo," which means "prince" or "ruler," suggesting that the name was initially given to individuals of high status or nobility within the Fula ethnic group.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Jalloh can be traced back to historical documents and manuscripts from the Mali Empire and the Sokoto Caliphate, two prominent West African empires that existed during the medieval and early modern periods. These records often mentioned individuals bearing the name Jalloh in connection with political and military leadership roles.
One notable historical figure with the surname Jalloh was Ibrahima Jalloh, a prominent Fula scholar and Islamic jurist who lived in the late 17th century. He was renowned for his contributions to the study of Fula language and culture, as well as his expertise in Islamic jurisprudence. Another historical figure was Mamadou Jalloh, a Fula military leader who played a significant role in the expansion of the Sokoto Caliphate in the early 19th century.
The name Jalloh has also been associated with several place names in Guinea and neighboring countries. For example, there is a town called Jalloh in the Faranah Region of Guinea, which may have derived its name from the Jalloh family or clan that settled in the area.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the surname Jalloh:
1. Alhaji Jalloh (c. 1820 - 1890), a Fula scholar and religious leader in Sierra Leone.
2. Abdoulaye Jalloh (1923 - 2003), a Guinean diplomat and politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
3. Ismaila Jalloh (1947 - present), a Guinean writer and poet known for his works exploring Fula culture and traditions.
4. Aminata Jalloh (1963 - present), a Sierra Leonean activist and advocate for women's rights and education.
5. Mohammed Jalloh (1975 - present), a Guinean professional football player who played for several clubs in Europe.
While the surname Jalloh has its roots in West Africa, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. The name continues to be closely associated with the Fula ethnic group and their rich cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jalloh
Among Census respondents with the surname Jalloh, the largest self-reported group is Black at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.3%) and White (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Jalloh 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 Jalloh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American97.0% · 3,710
- Two or more races1.3% · 50
- White0.8% · 31
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jalloh
Jalloh 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
#12,238
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,542
+1,670 bearers (+191.5%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Up 14,094 places
2020
#8,286
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,825
+1,283 bearers (+50.5%)
Per 100,000 1.28
Rank movement Up 3,952 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,332 | 872 | 0.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,238 | 2,542 | 0.86 | +1,670 bearers (+191.5%) | Up 14,094 places |
| 2020 | #8,286 | 3,825 | 1.28 | +1,283 bearers (+50.5%) | Up 3,952 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 Jalloh 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 | #12,238 | #8,286 | 32.3% |
| Count | 2,542 | 3,825 | 50.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.86 | 1.28 | 48.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jalloh bearers went from 2,542 to 3,825 (+50.5% change). The surname moved up 3,952 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,238 to #8,286.
FAQ
Jalloh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jalloh?
Name Census estimates that about 4,386 living Americans carry the surname Jalloh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 78,147 residents.
How common is Jalloh?
Jalloh ranks #8,286 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.28 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,825 people with the surname Jalloh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,386), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.28 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Jalloh.
Has Jalloh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jalloh went from 2,542 recorded bearers to 3,825. That is an increase of 1,283 (+50.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,238 to #8,286.
What does the Census say about the background of Jalloh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jalloh, the largest self-reported group is Black at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.3%) and White (0.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Jalloh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.0% (3,710 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jalloh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (97.0%), Two or More Races (1.3%), White (0.8%). 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 Jalloh (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 Jalloh mean?
A Fulani surname indicating descendance from the Diallo clan, who were renowned Islamic scholars and advisors to royalty. 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 Jalloh (1.28 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 people share the surname Jalloh?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.