2000
#85,643
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 203
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Jeanson
A French surname derived from the given name John (Jean) and the diminutive suffix -son.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 252 Americans carry the last name Jeanson. That puts it at #90,184 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,360,136 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jeanson 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
252
1 in 1,360,136
Census rank
#90,184
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
220
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 220 bearers of the surname Jeanson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 90184th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jeanson, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jeanson
The surname JEANSON originated in France, with its roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is a patronymic name derived from the Old French given name "Jean," which itself stems from the Hebrew name "Yohanan," meaning "God is gracious." The suffix "-son" indicates that it was originally a patronymic, denoting the son of someone named Jean.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname JEANSON can be found in the Chartres Cathedral archives from 1263, where a certain Gilles Jeanson is mentioned as a witness in a legal document. This suggests that the name had already become established in the region of Chartres, in northern France, by the 13th century.
During the Middle Ages, the JEANSON name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Normandy and Brittany, where it appeared in various forms, such as Jehanson, Jensson, and Jenesun. These regional variations reflect the dialectal differences that existed in different parts of France at the time.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the JEANSON name was Jacques Jeanson, a merchant from Rouen who was involved in the lucrative wool trade with England. His business dealings are recorded in the tax records of the city of Rouen from the years 1352 to 1367.
Another prominent JEANSON was Jean Jeanson (1510-1582), a French jurist and legal scholar who served as a magistrate in the Parlement of Paris. He was known for his expertise in Roman law and authored several influential treatises on legal matters.
During the French Renaissance, the JEANSON name was also associated with the arts. Pierre Jeanson (1592-1670) was a renowned painter and engraver from Lyon, whose works were commissioned by the French nobility and the Catholic Church.
In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the JEANSON name was André Jeanson (1721-1789), a French botanist and explorer who traveled to the West Indies and South America, where he discovered and documented numerous plant species.
Throughout history, the JEANSON surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, merchants, and explorers. While its origins can be traced back to medieval France, the name has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jeanson
Among Census respondents with the surname Jeanson, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Jeanson 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 Jeanson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.8% · 191
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 13
- Two or more races4.1% · 9
- Black or African American1.4% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jeanson
Jeanson 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
#88,685
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 209
+6 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 3,042 places
2020
#90,184
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 220
+11 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 1,499 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #85,643 | 203 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #88,685 | 209 | 0.07 | +6 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 3,042 places |
| 2020 | #90,184 | 220 | 0.07 | +11 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 1,499 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 Jeanson 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 | #88,685 | #90,184 | -1.7% |
| Count | 209 | 220 | 5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | 5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jeanson bearers went from 209 to 220 (+5.3% change). The surname moved down 1,499 positions in the national ranking, going from #88,685 to #90,184.
FAQ
Jeanson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jeanson?
Name Census estimates that about 252 living Americans carry the surname Jeanson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,360,136 residents.
How common is Jeanson?
Jeanson ranks #90,184 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 220 people with the surname Jeanson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (252), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Jeanson.
Has Jeanson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jeanson went from 209 recorded bearers to 220. That is an increase of 11 (+5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #88,685 to #90,184.
What does the Census say about the background of Jeanson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jeanson, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Jeanson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (191 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jeanson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.8%), Hispanic (5.9%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Jeanson (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 Jeanson mean?
A French surname derived from the given name John (Jean) and the diminutive suffix -son. 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 Jeanson (0.07 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 have the surname Jeanson?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.