Find out how popular the last name Jena is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Jena.
A place name surname referring to someone from the German city of Jena.
Jena, 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 Jena surname is from the 2010 census data.
Jena is the 59901st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Jena surname appeared 337 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 Jena.
We can also compare 2010 data for Jena 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 59901 | 71372 | -17.48% |
Count | 337 | 255 | 27.70% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.11 | 0.09 | 20.00% |
The surname JENA has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the region of Bihar. It is believed to have derived from the ancient city of Jaina or Jayanagarī, which was a major center of Jainism and learning during the medieval period.
The name can be traced back to the 6th century CE when the city of Jaina flourished under the Pala Empire. It is likely that the surname was adopted by scholars, priests, or families associated with the city or the Jain faith.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the JENA surname is found in the Khalimpur Plate of Dharmapala, a copper-plate inscription dated to the 8th century CE. This inscription lists several individuals with the surname JENA, suggesting its widespread use in the region during that time.
In the 12th century, the renowned Sanskrit scholar and philosopher Acharya Hemachandra, who hailed from the Jena community, authored the influential texts Siddha-Hema-Shastras and Dessināmamālā. His works are considered invaluable contributions to Jain literature and philosophy.
Another notable figure from the JENA lineage was Rana Pratap Singh Jena, a military commander who fought against the Mughal Empire in the 16th century. He played a crucial role in the Battle of Haldighati in 1576, leading the Mewar army alongside Maharana Pratap.
In the 18th century, Pandit Lakshmidhar Sharma Jena, a prominent astronomer and mathematician, authored several texts on astronomy and astrology, including the Siddhanta Darpana and Jyotishasara.
The JENA surname can also be found in the Navanagaraharas, ancient inscriptions detailing the establishment of new settlements or towns, indicating the migration of families bearing this name across various regions of India.
Throughout history, the JENA surname has been associated with scholarly pursuits, particularly in the fields of astronomy, mathematics, and Jain philosophy, reflecting the intellectual heritage of the community and its ties to the city of Jaina.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Jena.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Jena was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 38.58% | 130 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | 7.12% | 24 |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 46.88% | 158 |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | (S)% | (S) |
Hispanic Origin | 6.23% | 21 |
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 Jena has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 38.58% | 56.47% | -37.64% |
Black | 7.12% | 5.49% | 25.85% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | 46.88% | 24.71% | 61.94% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | 0.00% | (S)% |
Two or More Races | (S)% | 1.96% | (S)% |
Hispanic | 6.23% | 11.37% | -58.41% |
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 Jena was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/jena-surname-popularity/">Jena last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Jena last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on February 5, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/jena-surname-popularity/.
"Jena last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/jena-surname-popularity/. Accessed 5 February, 2025
Jena last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/jena-surname-popularity/.
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