2000
#20,191
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,227
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.45
Rare Last name
Jama
A Slovenian habitational surname derived from the dialect word jama, meaning "cave" or "pit."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,955 Americans carry the last name Jama. That puts it at #7,433 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 69,173 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jama 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 Jama with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.0K
1 in 69,173
Census rank
#7,433
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,321 bearers of the surname Jama in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7433rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jama, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jama
The surname JAMA has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It is believed to have originated during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "Jama," which means "twin" or "pair."
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname JAMA can be found in ancient Hindu texts and manuscripts from the region. The name is often associated with the warrior class or the Kshatriya caste in India. It is possible that the name was initially given to twins born into this caste, or to individuals who had a twin sibling.
In the 16th century, records from the Mughal Empire indicate the presence of individuals bearing the surname JAMA, particularly in the northern states of India. During this time, the name was also adopted by Muslim families, potentially due to intermarriages or cultural assimilation.
One notable individual with the surname JAMA was Mir Jama, a influential poet and scholar who lived in the 17th century. His works were widely celebrated and contributed to the rich literary tradition of the region.
Another prominent figure was Jama Khan, a military commander who served under the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in the late 17th century. He was known for his bravery and strategic skills on the battlefield.
Moving forward to the 19th century, Sir Jama Nath Mookerjee was a distinguished Indian lawyer and politician who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement. He was born in 1847 and served as the president of the Indian National Congress in 1899.
In more recent times, Mushtaq Ahmed Jama was a Somali politician and diplomat who served as the Prime Minister of Somalia from 1967 to 1969. He was born in 1922 and played a crucial role in the political landscape of his country.
Another noteworthy individual with the surname JAMA was Umma Kulthum Jama, a renowned Somali singer and songwriter who was born in 1958. Her music celebrated Somali culture and tradition, and she gained widespread recognition both within Somalia and internationally.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jama
Among Census respondents with the surname Jama, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Jama 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 Jama surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American94.1% · 4,065
- White3.1% · 132
- Two or more races1.3% · 57
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jama
Jama 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
#10,951
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,907
+1,680 bearers (+136.9%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Up 9,240 places
2020
#7,433
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,321
+1,414 bearers (+48.6%)
Per 100,000 1.45
Rank movement Up 3,518 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,191 | 1,227 | 0.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,951 | 2,907 | 0.99 | +1,680 bearers (+136.9%) | Up 9,240 places |
| 2020 | #7,433 | 4,321 | 1.45 | +1,414 bearers (+48.6%) | Up 3,518 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 Jama 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 | #10,951 | #7,433 | 32.1% |
| Count | 2,907 | 4,321 | 48.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.99 | 1.45 | 46.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jama bearers went from 2,907 to 4,321 (+48.6% change). The surname moved up 3,518 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,951 to #7,433.
FAQ
Jama surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jama?
Name Census estimates that about 4,955 living Americans carry the surname Jama. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 69,173 residents.
How common is Jama?
Jama ranks #7,433 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.45 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 4,321 people with the surname Jama. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,955), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.45 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 Jama.
Has Jama become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jama went from 2,907 recorded bearers to 4,321. That is an increase of 1,414 (+48.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,951 to #7,433.
What does the Census say about the background of Jama?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jama, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Two or More Races (1.3%). 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 Jama in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (4,065 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jama appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (94.1%), White (3.1%), Two or More Races (1.3%). 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 Jama (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 Jama mean?
A Slovenian habitational surname derived from the dialect word jama, meaning "cave" or "pit." 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 Jama (1.45 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 common is the surname Jama?
If you just want to know how many people are called Jama, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.