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

Jallow, 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 Jallow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jallow in America

Jallow is the 27331st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jallow surname appeared 884 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 Jallow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jallow 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 Jallow

The surname Jallow originated in the West African country of The Gambia. It is believed to have derived from the Mandinka word "jaloh" meaning "griot" or "oral historian/storyteller." The Mandinka people are an ethnic group found primarily in The Gambia, Senegal, and Guinea-Bissau.

The earliest known record of the Jallow surname dates back to the 16th century when it appeared in written accounts of the Mandinka Empire, which ruled over parts of modern-day West Africa from the 13th to the 19th century. During this time, the Jallow family held prominent positions as advisors and storytellers to the royal court.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Jallow surname was Bukan Jallow, a renowned griot who lived in the late 15th century. He was renowned for his ability to recite the genealogies and histories of the Mandinka rulers and noble families.

In the 19th century, Mori Jallow, a Gambian historian and writer, documented the oral histories and traditions of the Mandinka people. His works provide valuable insights into the culture and customs of his time.

Another notable figure was Alieu Jallow, a Gambian politician and diplomat who served as the country's first ambassador to the United Nations in the 1960s after gaining independence from Britain.

During the colonial era, the Jallow surname spread to other parts of West Africa, particularly Sierra Leone and Liberia, where many Gambians sought refuge or employment opportunities.

In more recent times, Fatou Bensouda, a Gambian lawyer and former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) from 2012 to 2021, has brought global recognition to the Jallow surname through her work in international law and human rights.

Another prominent figure is Lamin Jallow, a Gambian entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded the Jallow Cybercafé, one of the first internet cafés in The Gambia, and has been actively involved in promoting education and youth empowerment initiatives in the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jallow

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

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

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

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