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

Janifer, 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 Janifer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Janifer in America

Janifer is the 103181st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Janifer surname appeared 174 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 Janifer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Janifer 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 Janifer

The surname Janifer is believed to have originated in France, with its earliest roots dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old French "ganefer," which means "bearberry" or "juniper." This plant connection suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near juniper bushes or who worked with the plant in some capacity.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a collection of medieval charters and documents from the Abbey of Saint-Père in Chartres, France. In this record, dated around 1150, a person named Ganefer is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction.

As the name spread throughout France, it underwent various spelling variations, including Ganifer, Janifer, and Jenifer. These changes were likely due to regional dialects and the evolution of the French language over time.

In the 14th century, the Janifer name appeared in the Calendars of the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which recorded transactions and legal proceedings involving Scottish landowners and nobility. This suggests that the name had spread beyond France and into Scotland by this time.

One notable individual with the Janifer surname was Sir John Janifer, a Scottish knight who lived in the late 14th century. He was mentioned in the records of the Court of the Lord Lyon, which oversaw heraldry and Scottish coats of arms.

Another significant figure was Jehan Janifer, a French merchant and trader who lived in the early 15th century. He was involved in the lucrative spice trade between Europe and the Middle East, and his name appears in various commercial records and shipping manifests from that era.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Janifer name continued to appear in various European records, including parish registers, tax rolls, and court documents. Notable individuals from this time period include:

• Pierre Janifer (1534-1610), a French Protestant reformer and theologian who wrote several influential treatises on religious doctrine.
• Marguerite Janifer (1572-1642), a French noblewoman and patron of the arts, known for her support of artists and writers during the Renaissance.
• William Janifer (1620-1678), an English merchant and explorer who traveled extensively in the Middle East and Asia, documenting his journeys in detailed travelogues.

As the name spread across Europe and eventually to other parts of the world, it continued to evolve and take on new forms, reflecting the diverse cultures and languages it encountered.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Janifer

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

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

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

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