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

Jao, 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 Jao surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jao in America

Jao is the 35622nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jao surname appeared 631 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 Jao.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jao 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 Jao

The surname JAO traces its origins to Portugal, where it first emerged in the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Portuguese word "jáo," which means "rooster" or "cock." This name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone who exhibited rooster-like qualities, such as being boisterous or strutting around.

In the early 1500s, the name JAO appeared in several documents from the region of Algarve, a southern province of Portugal. One of the earliest recorded instances can be found in the baptismal records of the Church of Santa Maria in Lagos, which mentions a Diogo Jao in 1523.

During the Portuguese Age of Discovery, when explorers and settlers ventured to different parts of the world, the surname JAO likely spread to other regions. Historical records show that in the mid-17th century, a family bearing the name JAO settled in the Portuguese colony of Brazil.

One notable individual with the surname JAO was Padre Manuel Jao, a Jesuit priest born in Lisbon in 1624. He was known for his missionary work in Brazil, where he established several churches and contributed to the education of indigenous populations.

In the late 18th century, the name JAO appeared in the records of the Portuguese Inquisition, indicating that a man named António Jao was accused of heresy in 1783. This suggests that the surname was still prevalent in Portugal during that period.

Another significant figure was João Jao, a Portuguese military officer who participated in the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in Évora in 1778 and served in the Portuguese Army, distinguishing himself in several battles against the French forces during the Peninsular War.

As the Portuguese empire expanded, the surname JAO also found its way to other parts of the world. In the early 19th century, records show a family with the name JAO residing in the Portuguese colony of Goa, India.

One of the most renowned individuals with the surname JAO was Joaquim Jao, a Brazilian painter and artist born in Rio de Janeiro in 1868. He is celebrated for his vibrant and colorful depictions of Brazilian landscapes and cultural scenes.

These are some of the historical references and notable individuals associated with the surname JAO, which originated in Portugal and later spread to other regions due to Portuguese exploration and colonization.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jao

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

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

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

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