2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Jenei
A surname of Hungarian origin, possibly derived from the place name "Jenő".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Jenei. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jenei 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Jenei in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jenei, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jenei
The surname JENEI is believed to have originated in Hungary, deriving from the Hungarian word "jenö," which means "coming from a place called Jenö." This place name is thought to be related to the Slavic personal name "Jena" or "Jenö," meaning "gift" or "grace."
The earliest known record of the JENEI surname dates back to the 13th century, where it appeared in various Hungarian historical documents and records. It is possible that the name was initially associated with individuals who hailed from a specific location bearing the name Jenö or a similar variation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the JENEI surname can be found in the Codex Cumanicus, a linguistic manuscript from the 13th century, which included a list of Hungarian names and their meanings. The name JENEI was mentioned in this document, further cementing its Hungarian origins.
During the 15th century, the JENEI surname was notably associated with a prominent Hungarian noble family. One of the most renowned members of this family was János JENEI, who lived from 1425 to 1491 and served as a military commander and advisor to King Matthias Corvinus.
Another historical figure bearing the JENEI surname was István JENEI, a 16th-century Hungarian scholar and theologian. He was born in 1505 and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation movement in Hungary.
In the 17th century, the JENEI surname gained further recognition through the works of Miklós JENEI, a Hungarian poet and writer who lived from 1615 to 1682. His literary contributions, particularly his poems and plays, helped to preserve and promote Hungarian culture and language during a period of foreign rule.
During the 18th century, a notable figure with the JENEI surname was Tamás JENEI, born in 1725. He was a renowned Hungarian architect and builder, responsible for the construction of several churches and public buildings throughout the country.
In the 19th century, the JENEI surname continued to be prevalent in Hungary, with individuals like Lajos JENEI (1820-1892), a respected Hungarian lawyer and judge, and Károly JENEI (1865-1923), a renowned Hungarian painter and artist, making significant contributions to their respective fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jenei
Among Census respondents with the surname Jenei, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Jenei 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 Jenei surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jenei
Jenei 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+23 bearers (+22.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,735 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-24 bearers (-19.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 20,089 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +23 bearers (+22.8%) | Up 13,735 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -24 bearers (-19.4%) | Down 20,089 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 Jenei 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 | #135,593 | #155,682 | -14.8% |
| Count | 124 | 100 | -19.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jenei bearers went from 124 to 100 (-19.4% change). The surname moved down 20,089 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #155,682.
FAQ
Jenei surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jenei?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Jenei. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Jenei?
Jenei ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Jenei. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Jenei.
Has Jenei become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jenei went from 124 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 24 (-19.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Jenei?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jenei, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Jenei in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jenei appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Jenei (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 Jenei mean?
A surname of Hungarian origin, possibly derived from the place name "Jenő". 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 Jenei (0.03 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 are called Jenei?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Jenei, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.