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

Jeney, 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 Jeney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jeney in America

Jeney is the 133048th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jeney surname appeared 127 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 Jeney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jeney 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 Jeney

The surname Jeney originated in Hungary, with records dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Hungarian word "jenő," which means "evergreen" or "young man." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname or descriptive term for someone with a youthful or vibrant appearance.

The earliest known record of the Jeney surname can be found in a Hungarian census document from 1485, where a person named Jakab Jeney was listed as a resident of the town of Székesfehérvár. This town, located near Budapest, was an important center for Hungarian nobility and clergy during the Middle Ages.

In the 16th century, the Jeney family gained prominence in the region of Transylvania, which was part of the Kingdom of Hungary at the time. Several members of the family held positions of influence, such as János Jeney (1495-1558), who served as a judge and royal councilor under King John I of Hungary.

As the Jeney family dispersed throughout Hungary and neighboring regions, variations in the spelling of the name became common. Some alternative spellings included Jenei, Jenay, and Jene. These variations often reflected regional dialects or local pronunciation preferences.

One notable bearer of the Jeney name was Mihály Jeney (1724-1797), a Hungarian composer and organist who lived during the late Baroque period. His works, which included masses and other sacred compositions, were highly regarded within the Catholic Church of his time.

Another prominent figure was Károly Jeney (1739-1799), a Hungarian military officer and landowner. He served in the Austrian army during the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded several honors for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.

In the 19th century, the Jeney surname continued to spread throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire and beyond. One example is Ernő Jeney (1854-1924), a Hungarian engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early automobiles and internal combustion engines.

While the Jeney surname has its roots firmly planted in Hungarian history, it has since been adopted by families in various parts of Europe and the Americas, reflecting the global migration patterns of the past few centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jeney

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

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

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

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