Jannings
A variant of the surname Jennings, possibly derived from a place name.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 137 Americans carry the last name Jannings. That puts it at #153,769 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,501,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jannings surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
137
1 in 2,501,856
Census rank
#153,769
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Jannings in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153769th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jannings, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jannings
The surname Jannings has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the late medieval period around the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Germanic personal name "Jan" or "Johann," which itself stems from the Hebrew name "Yohanan" meaning "Yahweh is gracious."
The earliest recorded instances of the Jannings surname can be found in various German census records and municipal registers from the 1400s and 1500s. It was particularly prevalent in the northern regions of Germany, such as Lower Saxony and Westphalia, where variations like "Jannynges" and "Janninge" were also documented.
One notable historical figure bearing the Jannings surname was Conrad Jannings, a German theologian and humanist scholar who lived from 1510 to 1567. He was a prominent figure during the Protestant Reformation and served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg.
In the 17th century, the Jannings surname began to appear in various church records and parish registers across other parts of Europe, indicating the migration and spread of families with this name. For instance, there are records of a Johann Jannings, born in 1624 in the town of Lübeck, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire.
The Jannings surname can also be linked to certain place names in Germany, such as the village of Janningshausen in the state of Hesse. It is possible that some branches of the Jannings family may have derived their name from this or similar locations.
During the 19th century, the Jannings surname gained further prominence with the birth of Emil Jannings in 1884. He was a renowned German actor and the first to be awarded the Academy Award for Best Actor, in 1928 and 1929, for his performances in the films "The Last Command" and "The Way of All Flesh."
Other notable individuals with the Jannings surname include Heinrich Jannings, a German politician and member of the Reichstag in the late 19th century, and Karl Jannings, a German writer and journalist who lived from 1857 to 1917.
Overall, the surname Jannings has a rich history deeply rooted in German heritage, with various branches and notable figures emerging across different periods and regions over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jannings
Among Census respondents with the surname Jannings, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Jannings bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Jannings surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3%
- Black or African American4.7%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Jannings surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #153,769 | #153,769 | 0.0% |
| Count | 106 | 106 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Jannings bearers went from 106 to 106 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #153,769.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Jannings
FAQ
Jannings surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Jannings?
The surname Jannings holds position #153,769 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 137 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Jannings surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jannings, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.