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

Jennison, 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 Jennison surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jennison in America

Jennison is the 25975th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jennison surname appeared 945 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 Jennison.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jennison 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 Jennison

The surname Jennison has its origins in England, and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the medieval English personal name "Jenyn", which was a diminutive form of the name John. The suffix "-son" was added to indicate "son of", a common practice during that time period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jennison can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297, where a Robert Jenynson was listed. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 13th century in the northern counties of England.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Jennison family settled in various parts of Yorkshire, particularly in the areas around Doncaster and Rotherham. Records from this period show variations in the spelling of the name, such as Jenyngson, Jenynson, and Jenyngsone.

In the 16th century, the Jennison surname appeared in the Visitation of Yorkshire in 1585, where the family's coat of arms was recorded. This indicates that the Jennisons had achieved a certain level of prominence and status by that time.

One notable figure in the history of the Jennison name was Sir Ralph Jennison (c. 1508-1569), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Yorkshire. He was involved in the Pilgrimage of Grace, a major uprising against Henry VIII's religious reforms in the 1530s.

Another significant individual was Sir Thomas Jennison (c. 1575-1650), a lawyer and Justice of the Peace who played a role in the English Civil War. He initially supported the Royalist cause but later switched allegiances to the Parliamentarians.

In the 17th century, the Jennison family expanded their presence across Yorkshire and into neighboring counties like Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. One notable member from this period was Robert Jennison (1625-1690), a Presbyterian minister and author who wrote several religious texts.

During the 18th century, the Jennisons continued to be influential landowners and gentry in Yorkshire. One notable figure was William Jennison (1705-1783), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who donated funds for the construction of several churches and schools in the region.

Throughout its history, the Jennison surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Jennison's Farm in Lincolnshire and Jennison's Croft in Yorkshire, reflecting the family's connections to specific locations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jennison

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

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

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

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