2000
#29,142
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 766
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.28
Rare Last name
Jane
An English surname derived from the Norman French 'Jane', which was originally a diminutive nickname for 'John'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,884 Americans carry the last name Jane. That puts it at #16,926 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 181,929 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jane 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 Jane with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.9K
1 in 181,929
Census rank
#16,926
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,643 bearers of the surname Jane in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16926th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jane, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.3%) and Black (15.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jane
The surname "JANE" is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the medieval English given name "Jane," which itself came from the Old French "Jehane" or "Johane," a feminine form of the Hebrew name "Yohanan," meaning "Yahweh is gracious."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "JANE" can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the 13th century, where a person named William Jane is mentioned. The name's connection to Yorkshire suggests that it may have initially been more common in the northern regions of England.
In the 14th century, the surname "JANE" appeared in various records and documents across different parts of England. For instance, in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from 1348, a person named Robert Jane is listed as a tenant.
The name "JANE" has also been associated with certain place names, such as Janeways in Cornwall, which may have contributed to its use as a surname in that region. Additionally, variations in spelling, like "Jeane" and "Jene," were common in historical records.
Notable individuals with the surname "JANE" include:
1. Sir William Jane (c. 1509-1585), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Southampton.
2. Joseph Jane (1654-1707), an English nonconformist minister and author of theological works.
3. Frederick Thomas Jane (1837-1916), a British naval writer and illustrator known for his works on naval history and architecture.
4. Cecil Jane (1857-1932), an English translator and author who translated several works of Spanish literature, including Don Quixote.
5. Lionel Cecil Jane (1856-1932), a British military historian and author of several books on the history of warfare.
While the surname "JANE" may not be as prominent as some other English surnames, it has a rich history dating back to the medieval period and has been borne by notable individuals across various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jane
Among Census respondents with the surname Jane, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.3%) and Black (15.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Jane 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 Jane surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White57.5% · 945
- Hispanic or Latino17.3% · 285
- Black or African American15.8% · 259
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.6% · 108
- Two or more races1.6% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jane
Jane 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
#29,473
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 801
+35 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Down 331 places
2020
#16,926
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,643
+842 bearers (+105.1%)
Per 100,000 0.55
Rank movement Up 12,547 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #29,142 | 766 | 0.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #29,473 | 801 | 0.27 | +35 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 331 places |
| 2020 | #16,926 | 1,643 | 0.55 | +842 bearers (+105.1%) | Up 12,547 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 Jane 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 | #29,473 | #16,926 | 42.6% |
| Count | 801 | 1,643 | 105.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.27 | 0.55 | 103.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jane bearers went from 801 to 1,643 (+105.1% change). The surname moved up 12,547 positions in the national ranking, going from #29,473 to #16,926.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Jane
FAQ
Jane surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jane?
Name Census estimates that about 1,884 living Americans carry the surname Jane. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 181,929 residents.
How common is Jane?
Jane ranks #16,926 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.55 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 1,643 people with the surname Jane. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,884), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.55 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 Jane.
Has Jane become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jane went from 801 recorded bearers to 1,643. That is an increase of 842 (+105.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #29,473 to #16,926.
What does the Census say about the background of Jane?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jane, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.3%) and Black (15.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Jane in the 2020 Census, accounting for 57.5% (945 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jane appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (57.5%), Hispanic (17.3%), Black (15.8%). 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 Jane (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 Jane mean?
An English surname derived from the Norman French 'Jane', which was originally a diminutive nickname for 'John'. 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 Jane (0.55 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 many Americans have the surname Jane?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.