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

Jens, 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 Jens surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jens in America

Jens is the 30165th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jens surname appeared 777 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 Jens.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jens 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 Jens

The surname Jens has its origins in Scandinavia, specifically Denmark. It is derived from the Danish and Norwegian version of the male given name John, which traces its roots back to the biblical Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "God is gracious."

In medieval Denmark, the name was often spelled as Jens or Jensøn, with the latter form indicating the patronymic tradition of adding "son" to a father's given name. This practice was common in Scandinavian countries before the widespread adoption of inherited surnames.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Jens can be found in the Danish Census Book of 1645, which listed several individuals with this surname residing in various regions of the country. It is also believed that the name appeared in some early church records and local town registers from the 16th and 17th centuries.

Among the notable historical figures bearing the surname Jens was Jens Muller (1599-1669), a Danish astronomer and mathematician who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the calculation of planetary orbits. Another prominent individual was Jens Juel (1745-1800), a celebrated Danish naval officer who played a crucial role in the Battle of Copenhagen during the Napoleonic Wars.

In the literary realm, the Danish writer Jens Peter Jacobsen (1847-1885) gained recognition for his novels and short stories that explored themes of naturalism and symbolism. His works, such as "Niels Lyhne" and "Mogens," have left a lasting impact on Danish literature.

The name Jens was also associated with various place names in Denmark, such as Jensby, Jensager, and Jenshøj, which likely reflected the presence of families or individuals bearing this surname in those locations.

Another notable figure was Jens Christian Hostrup (1818-1892), a Danish poet, playwright, and novelist whose works often celebrated the beauty of the Danish countryside and the lives of ordinary people. His plays, such as "The Parsonage" and "The Morning Walk," were popular in his time and are still appreciated for their humor and social commentary.

While the surname Jens is predominantly associated with Denmark, it has also been found in other Scandinavian countries, such as Norway and Sweden, where variations like Jenssen and Jensson have been recorded. However, its roots can be traced back to the Danish linguistic and cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jens

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

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

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

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