2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Jamon
A Spanish surname derived from the word "jamón" meaning ham or cured pork.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Jamon. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jamon 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.
Bearers in the US
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Jamon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jamon, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 32.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (24.6%) and Hispanic (19.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jamon
The surname JAMON is of Spanish origin, with its roots traceable to the regions of Castile and Andalusia during the late medieval period. It likely derives from the Spanish word "jamón," which means "ham" or "cured pork leg," suggesting a possible connection to the occupation of a butcher or pork merchant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the JAMON surname can be found in the Catastro de Ensenada, a census-like document from 1752, which listed several families with this surname in the province of Seville. The name also appears in various municipal records and church registries from the 16th and 17th centuries in cities such as Seville, Cordoba, and Granada.
In the 19th century, notable individuals bearing the JAMON surname include Juan Jamon (1812-1884), a prominent lawyer and politician from Seville who served as a deputy in the Spanish Parliament. Another notable figure was María Jamon (1845-1912), a renowned writer and feminist activist from Cordoba, who advocated for women's rights and education reform.
During the 20th century, the JAMON surname gained further recognition with the birth of Francisco Jamon (1923-2001), a celebrated artist and sculptor from Granada, whose works are displayed in various museums across Spain and Europe.
Another prominent individual was Juana Jamon (1901-1987), a pioneering journalist and war correspondent from Seville, who covered the Spanish Civil War and later became a respected author and commentator on international affairs.
In the realm of literature, Pedro Jamon (1928-2005), a novelist and poet from Cordoba, gained critical acclaim for his poetic works exploring the rich cultural heritage of Andalusia and the complexities of the human experience.
While the JAMON surname may have originated from a humble occupation, it has since become associated with individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, including politics, arts, literature, and journalism, leaving an indelible mark on Spanish history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jamon
Among Census respondents with the surname Jamon, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 32.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (24.6%) and Hispanic (19.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Jamon 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 Jamon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- American Indian and Alaska Native32.2% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander24.6% · 29
- Hispanic or Latino19.5% · 23
- White11.0% · 13
- Two or more races6.8% · 8
- Black or African American5.9% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jamon
Jamon 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-4 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,558 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+8 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,884 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 13,558 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.3%) | Up 5,884 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 Jamon 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 | #149,395 | #143,511 | 3.9% |
| Count | 110 | 118 | 7.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jamon bearers went from 110 to 118 (+7.3% change). The surname moved up 5,884 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #143,511.
FAQ
Jamon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jamon?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Jamon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Jamon?
Jamon ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 118 people with the surname Jamon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Jamon.
Has Jamon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jamon went from 110 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 8 (+7.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Jamon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jamon, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 32.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (24.6%) and Hispanic (19.5%). 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?
American Indian/Alaska Native is the largest self-reported group for the surname Jamon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 32.2% (38 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jamon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are American Indian/Alaska Native (32.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (24.6%), Hispanic (19.5%). 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 Jamon (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 Jamon mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "jamón" meaning ham or cured pork. 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 Jamon (0.04 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 Jamon?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Jamon on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.