2000
#118,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Jenna
A variant of the Hebrew given name "Yochanan" meaning "God is gracious".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Jenna. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jenna 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Jenna in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jenna, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jenna
The surname Jenna is of Arabic origin, derived from the name "Jinnah" which means "paradise" or "heaven" in Arabic. It is believed to have originated in the Middle East region during the medieval period.
The name Jenna is thought to have been brought to Europe during the Middle Ages, possibly by Arab traders or scholars who traveled to the continent. It is believed that the name may have been adopted by families in regions such as Spain, Portugal, and Italy, where there was significant Arab influence during that time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Jenna can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from Italy dating back to the 11th century. The name appears in a document from the city of Genoa, where a family with the surname Jenna is mentioned.
Another historical reference to the name Jenna can be found in the Domesday Book, a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as "Jena" in the records, suggesting that it may have been present in England during the Norman conquest.
One notable figure with the surname Jenna was Giovanni Jenna, an Italian painter and sculptor who lived in the 16th century. He was known for his work in the Mannerist style and was commissioned to create several works for churches and palaces in Italy.
Another individual with the surname Jenna was Maria Jenna, a Spanish writer and poet who lived in the 17th century. She was known for her poetic works that explored themes of love, nature, and spirituality.
In the 19th century, there was a French composer named Charles Jenna who wrote several operas and symphonic works. He was born in 1818 and is remembered for his contributions to the romantic era of classical music.
One of the earliest recorded place names associated with the surname Jenna is the town of Genna, located in the province of Sassari, Sardinia, Italy. This town's name may have been derived from the surname or vice versa, but it suggests a historical connection between the name and the region.
Another notable person with the surname Jenna was Mohammed Ali Jenna, an Egyptian political activist and writer who lived in the early 20th century. He was a prominent figure in the Egyptian nationalist movement and advocated for independence from British rule.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jenna
Among Census respondents with the surname Jenna, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Jenna 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 Jenna surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.3% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 6
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jenna
Jenna 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-14 bearers (-10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,350 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,005 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,954 | 135 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.4%) | Down 19,350 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 3,005 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 Jenna 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 | #138,304 | #141,309 | -2.2% |
| Count | 121 | 121 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jenna bearers went from 121 to 121 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 3,005 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #141,309.
FAQ
Jenna surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jenna?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Jenna. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Jenna?
Jenna ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 121 people with the surname Jenna. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Jenna.
Has Jenna become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jenna went from 121 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Jenna?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jenna, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Jenna in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.3% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jenna appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.3%), Hispanic (5.0%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Jenna (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 Jenna mean?
A variant of the Hebrew given name "Yochanan" meaning "God is gracious". 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 Jenna (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Jenna?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.