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

Jarnigan, 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 Jarnigan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jarnigan in America

Jarnigan is the 29064th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jarnigan surname appeared 816 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 Jarnigan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jarnigan 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 Jarnigan

The surname Jarnigan is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "gearn" meaning "yarn" and "inga" meaning "people," thus suggesting a connection to a group of people involved in the yarn or textile trade.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a person named Gerningus is listed as a landowner in the county of Oxfordshire. This entry is believed to be an early variant spelling of the name Jarnigan.

By the 13th century, the name had evolved to its more recognizable form, with records showing a John Jarnigan listed as a resident of the village of Yarningale in Warwickshire. This village name itself is a combination of the Old English words "gearn" and "ingalea," further reinforcing the connection between the surname and the yarn trade.

Notable individuals who bore the Jarnigan surname throughout history include:

1. William Jarnigan (c. 1520 - 1585), a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, known for his involvement in the wool trade.
2. Elizabeth Jarnigan (1642 - 1712), an English Quaker and writer who published several religious tracts and advocated for women's rights.
3. Thomas Jarnigan (1768 - 1841), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and rose to the rank of Rear Admiral.
4. Mary Jarnigan (1815 - 1892), an English novelist and poet, best known for her novel "The Weaver's Daughter," which explored the lives of textile workers in the Industrial Revolution.
5. John Jarnigan (1875 - 1948), a British archaeologist and historian who conducted extensive research on medieval English settlements and their connection to the textile industry.

Throughout its history, the Jarnigan surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Yarningale in Warwickshire, Yarnton in Oxfordshire, and Yarnbury in Yorkshire, all of which likely derived their names from the Old English word "gearn," further reinforcing the surname's connection to the yarn and textile trade.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jarnigan

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

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

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

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