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

Jason, 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 Jason surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jason in America

Jason is the 8198th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jason surname appeared 4,048 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Jason.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jason 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 Jason

The surname Jason has its origins in ancient Greece, where it was derived from the Greek name "Iason," which translates to "healer" or "to heal." The name is believed to have first emerged around the 8th century BC and was particularly popular in the region of Thessaly.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jason can be found in Greek mythology, where it was borne by the legendary hero of the Argonauts, who led a group of sailors on a quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece. This epic adventure is recounted in various ancient texts, including the "Argonautica" by Apollonius of Rhodes, dating back to the 3rd century BC.

During the Middle Ages, the name Jason gained popularity across Europe, particularly in regions influenced by the Greek culture and language. It was commonly used in Byzantine and Eastern Orthodox communities, as well as in areas with strong ties to classical literature and mythology.

In the 11th century, the name Jason appeared in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This early written record suggests that the name had already gained a foothold in parts of medieval England by that time.

One notable individual bearing the surname Jason was Jason of Pherae, a 4th-century BC ruler of Thessaly, known for his ambitious and ruthless pursuit of power. Another prominent figure was Jason of Cyrene, a 2nd-century BC Jewish historian and author of a now-lost work on the Maccabean revolt.

In the Renaissance period, the name gained further recognition through the works of writers and artists who drew inspiration from classical Greek literature and mythology. One such individual was Jason of Nicosia, a 15th-century Cypriot poet and scholar who played a significant role in the revival of Greek studies in Renaissance Italy.

Other notable figures with the surname Jason include Jason of Thessalonica, a 6th-century Byzantine historian and author of a work on the history of the Gothic Wars, and Jason of Cyrene, a 1st-century BC Jewish philosopher and scholar who wrote on the allegorical interpretation of the Torah.

While the surname Jason has its roots in ancient Greece, it has since spread and been adopted in various cultures around the world, with different spelling variations and pronunciations emerging over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jason

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!