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

Jenifer, 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 Jenifer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jenifer in America

Jenifer is the 36426th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jenifer surname appeared 614 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 Jenifer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jenifer 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 Jenifer

The surname JENIFER originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the given name Jennifer, which is a variant of the Welsh name Gwenfrewi or Gwenfrewi. This name is a combination of the Welsh words "gwen" meaning fair or white, and "frewi" meaning blessed or blessed one.

The name JENIFER is thought to have evolved from the medieval English form "Gunffred" or "Jenefere," which were anglicized versions of the Welsh name Gwenfrewi. These early spellings were likely influenced by the Norman French pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname JENIFER can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, which lists a certain "Jenefer de Ribbesford." This suggests that the name was present in the West Midlands region of England during the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as "Jenefere," "Jenefyre," and "Jenefyre," in records from counties like Staffordshire and Warwickshire. These variations reflect the evolving spelling and pronunciation of the name over time.

One notable historical figure with the surname JENIFER was Sir Robert Jenifer (c. 1490-1545), a wealthy landowner and member of the gentry from Worcestershire. He served as a Justice of the Peace and was involved in local government during the reign of King Henry VIII.

Another prominent individual was Sir William Jenifer (c. 1550-1610), a successful merchant and alderman in the City of London. He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1607-1608.

In the 17th century, the surname JENIFER appeared in various records, including those of the Virginia Colony in America. One notable example was Daniel Jenifer (1659-1724), a wealthy planter and landowner who immigrated to Maryland from England in the late 17th century.

Another individual of note was Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer (1723-1790), a prominent politician and landowner from Maryland. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and was one of the signers of the United States Constitution.

In the 19th century, the surname JENIFER continued to be found in various parts of England and the United States. One notable figure was Thomas Jenifer (1820-1892), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Baltimore, Maryland, who made significant contributions to educational institutions in the city.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jenifer

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

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

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

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