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

Jellen, 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 Jellen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jellen in America

Jellen is the 104602nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jellen surname appeared 171 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 Jellen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jellen 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 Jellen

The surname Jellen has its origins in Germany, where it emerged during the late Middle Ages, around the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "Jele," which means "yellowish" or "pale." The name likely referred to someone with fair hair or a pale complexion.

In its earliest recorded instances, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as "Jelle," "Yelle," and "Gelle," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. The name was prevalent in regions like Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia, where German dialects were spoken.

One of the earliest known references to the name Jellen can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to the 14th century. This early record suggests the presence of individuals bearing the name in the region during that period.

In the 16th century, Johannes Jellen (1511-1585), a notable German theologian and reformer, was born in Nuremberg. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and was known for his contributions to the translation of the Bible into German.

Another notable figure with the surname Jellen was Friedrich Jellen (1623-1689), a German jurist and legal scholar from Saxony. He authored several influential works on German law and served as a professor at the University of Leipzig.

In the 18th century, Georg Jellen (1744-1821), a German composer and organist, made significant contributions to the musical landscape of his time. He served as the court organist in Weimar and composed numerous works for the organ and other instruments.

Moving into the 19th century, Karl Jellen (1825-1903) was a prominent German architect and urban planner. He played a crucial role in the development of several cities, including Berlin, where he designed many notable buildings and public spaces.

Among the more recent historical figures with the surname Jellen was Hans Jellen (1889-1968), a German painter and printmaker. He was known for his landscape paintings and etchings, which captured the beauty of the German countryside and cities.

While the surname Jellen has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to immigration and migration patterns. However, its origins can be traced back to the German-speaking regions of Central Europe, where it emerged as a descriptor of physical characteristics during the Late Middle Ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jellen

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

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

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

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