2000
#8,307
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,667
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.36
Rare Last name
Jardine
French topographic surname for someone who lived near a garden or orchard, from Old French jardin meaning "garden."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,336 Americans carry the last name Jardine. That puts it at #8,387 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 79,049 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jardine 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 Jardine with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 79,049
Census rank
#8,387
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,781 bearers of the surname Jardine in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8387th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jardine, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Black (6.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jardine
The surname Jardine has its roots in the Anglo-Norman French language and is derived from the Old French word "jardin" meaning garden. It likely originated as a descriptive surname given to someone who lived near or worked in a garden or cultivated lands.
The earliest recorded instances of the Jardine surname can be traced back to the 13th century in Scotland. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William de Jardin, who is mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.
During the Middle Ages, the Jardine family established themselves as a prominent clan in the Scottish Borders region, particularly in the area around Annandale and Dumfriesshire. The Jardines held lands and properties in this area, and the name became closely associated with this part of Scotland.
In the 16th century, the Jardines were involved in various conflicts and feuds with other Border clans, such as the Maxwells and the Johnstones. Notable figures from this period include Sir Alexander Jardine (1537-1610), who was a prominent figure in the Scottish Borders and played a role in the turbulent events of the time.
As the Jardine family spread throughout Scotland, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Jardyn, Jardin, and Jardyne. Some of these variations were influenced by local dialects and pronunciation.
One of the most famous bearers of the Jardine surname was Sir William Jardine (1800-1874), a Scottish naturalist and ornithologist. He was a co-founder of the Magazine of Zoology and Botany and made significant contributions to the study of birds and natural history.
Another notable Jardine was Sir Robert Jardine (1825-1905), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who played a significant role in the development of Hong Kong during the British colonial period. He was a co-founder of the prominent trading firm Jardine, Matheson & Co.
The Jardine surname has also been associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Jardine Hall in Dumfriesshire and Jardine's Croft in Renfrewshire, further emphasizing the family's historical ties to the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jardine
Among Census respondents with the surname Jardine, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Black (6.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Jardine 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 Jardine surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.1% · 2,917
- Hispanic or Latino7.1% · 270
- Black or African American6.7% · 252
- Two or more races6.2% · 235
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 103
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jardine
Jardine 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
#8,335
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,973
+306 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 1.35
Rank movement Down 28 places
2020
#8,387
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,781
-192 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Down 52 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,307 | 3,667 | 1.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,335 | 3,973 | 1.35 | +306 bearers (+8.3%) | Down 28 places |
| 2020 | #8,387 | 3,781 | 1.26 | -192 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 52 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 Jardine 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 | #8,335 | #8,387 | -0.6% |
| Count | 3,973 | 3,781 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.35 | 1.26 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jardine bearers went from 3,973 to 3,781 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 52 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,335 to #8,387.
FAQ
Jardine surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jardine?
Name Census estimates that about 4,336 living Americans carry the surname Jardine. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 79,049 residents.
How common is Jardine?
Jardine ranks #8,387 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.26 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 3,781 people with the surname Jardine. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,336), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.26 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 Jardine.
Has Jardine become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jardine went from 3,973 recorded bearers to 3,781. That is a decrease of 192 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,335 to #8,387.
What does the Census say about the background of Jardine?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jardine, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Black (6.7%). 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 Jardine in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.1% (2,917 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jardine appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.1%), Hispanic (7.1%), Black (6.7%). 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 Jardine (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 Jardine mean?
French topographic surname for someone who lived near a garden or orchard, from Old French jardin meaning "garden." 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 Jardine (1.26 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 people are called Jardine?
You can see how many people are called Jardine on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.