2010
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Jau
A German surname derived from the Slavic personal name Jau or Jauthe.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Jau. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jau 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.
Bearers in the US
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Jau in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jau, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 55.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (32.4%) and White (7.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jau
The surname "JAU" is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Germany during the late 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "jaha," meaning "to confess" or "to admit." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals who worked as confessors or clergymen.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "JAU" can be found in a manuscript from the town of Lübeck, dated around 1275. This document mentions a "Hans Jau," who was a local merchant and landowner. The name also appears in various church records from the 14th and 15th centuries in the regions of Mecklenburg and Pomerania.
In the 16th century, a notable individual bearing the surname "JAU" was Johann Jau (1510-1578), a Lutheran theologian and reformer from Saxony. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and was a close associate of Martin Luther.
During the 17th century, the name "JAU" was also found in parts of Poland, likely due to migration from neighboring German regions. One prominent figure was Krzysztof Jau (1637-1702), a Polish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Polish-Swedish wars.
In the 18th century, a family with the surname "JAU" settled in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia). One of their descendants, Willem Jau (1795-1868), became a successful merchant and plantation owner in Java.
Another notable individual was Friedrich Jau (1810-1881), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the calculation of planetary orbits.
As the name "JAU" spread across Europe and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as "Jau," "Jauw," and "Jauwe." Some of these variations may have been influenced by regional dialects or local place names.
While the surname "JAU" is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and regions, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who have carried this name throughout the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jau
Among Census respondents with the surname Jau, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 55.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (32.4%) and White (7.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Jau 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 Jau surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino55.6% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander32.4% · 35
- White7.4% · 8
- Black or African American2.8% · 3
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jau
Jau appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-19 bearers (-15.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,887 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-15.0%) | Down 17,887 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 Jau 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 | #133,048 | #150,935 | -13.4% |
| Count | 127 | 108 | -15.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jau bearers went from 127 to 108 (-15.0% change). The surname moved down 17,887 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #150,935.
FAQ
Jau surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jau?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Jau. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Jau?
Jau ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Jau. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Jau.
Has Jau become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jau went from 127 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 19 (-15.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Jau?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jau, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 55.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (32.4%) and White (7.4%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Jau in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.6% (60 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jau appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (55.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (32.4%), White (7.4%). 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 Jau (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 Jau mean?
A German surname derived from the Slavic personal name Jau or Jauthe. 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 Jau (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Jau?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.