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

Jan, 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 Jan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jan in America

Jan is the 14564th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jan surname appeared 2,046 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Jan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jan 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 Jan

The surname Jan originated in England and Scotland during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the personal name John, which is of Hebrew origin meaning "Yahweh is gracious." The name Jan is a medieval English and Scottish diminutive form of John.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Jan can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Jan" and "Janne." This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century in England.

In the 13th century, the surname Jan is recorded in various medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Jan" and "Janne." Additionally, the surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the same period, indicating its presence in northern England.

The surname Jan is also associated with several place names in England, such as Janville, which was derived from the Old French "Jan's ville," meaning "Jan's town." This suggests that some instances of the surname may have originated from these place names.

Notable historical figures with the surname Jan include:

1. John Jan (c. 1350 - c. 1415), an English priest and theologian who served as the Chancellor of the University of Oxford.

2. William Jan (c. 1480 - 1540), a Scottish scholar and clergyman who served as the Rector of the University of St. Andrews.

3. Thomas Jan (c. 1550 - 1617), an English mathematician and astronomer who contributed to the development of logarithms.

4. Edward Jan (1638 - 1712), an English historian and antiquarian who wrote extensively on the history of Shropshire.

5. James Jan (1795 - 1876), a Scottish painter and engraver known for his portraits and landscapes.

The surname Jan has maintained its presence throughout the centuries, with notable bearers contributing to various fields, including academia, literature, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jan

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

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

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

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