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

Jammeh, 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 Jammeh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jammeh in America

Jammeh is the 73215th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jammeh surname appeared 265 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 Jammeh.

The history of the last name Jammeh

The surname Jammeh originates from The Gambia, a small West African country. It is believed to have originated in the late 15th century, possibly derived from the Mandinka word 'jam' meaning 'to be disciplined or obedient'. The name was initially concentrated in the regions around the Gambia River, particularly in the Lower River Region and Central River Region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jammeh can be found in the 17th century archives of the Royal African Company, which was a English trading company operating along the Gambian coast. A trader named Alagie Jammeh is mentioned in a document from 1692, conducting business with the company's representatives.

During the 19th century, the name Jammeh appeared in various colonial records of The Gambia, which was then a British protectorate. In 1856, a man named Musa Jammeh was appointed as an interpreter and guide by the British administration, assisting in their interactions with local communities.

The first half of the 20th century saw the rise of several prominent individuals bearing the Jammeh surname. Alieu Jammeh (1901-1975) was a respected teacher and community leader who played a significant role in promoting education in The Gambia. Another notable figure was Bakary Jammeh (1912-1988), a prominent politician who served as a member of the Gambian House of Representatives.

One of the most well-known individuals with the surname Jammeh is Yahya Jammeh, the former President of The Gambia. Born in 1965, he ruled the country from 1994 to 2017, after seizing power in a military coup. His presidency was marked by allegations of human rights abuses and authoritarian rule.

Other notable individuals with the Jammeh surname include Isatou Jammeh (born 1976), a Gambian activist and women's rights advocate, and Lamin Jammeh (born 1978), a former professional footballer who played for various clubs in Europe and represented The Gambia national team.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jammeh

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

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 Jammeh 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.

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

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

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