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

Jenson, 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 Jenson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jenson in America

Jenson is the 4461st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jenson surname appeared 7,956 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Jenson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jenson 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 Jenson

The surname Jenson has its origins in England, and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to be a patronymic surname, derived from the given name John, which in turn comes from the Hebrew name "Yohanan" meaning "Yahweh is gracious." Specifically, Jenson is thought to be a variation of the surname Johnson, which was initially spelled as "Jonessone" or "Jonesone."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Jenson surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, which mention a "Roger Jenessone." Another early reference is in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a "Johannes Jenessone" is listed.

The surname Jenson may also have been influenced by the Old Norse name "Jensson," which was brought to England by Scandinavian settlers during the Viking Age. This name was derived from the Old Norse given name "Jón," which was a variant of the name John.

In terms of notable historical figures bearing the Jenson surname, one can mention William Jenson (c. 1420-1490), a French printer and engraver who is credited with introducing the Roman typeface to France. Another notable figure is Thomas Jenson (1593-1673), an English mathematician and teacher who published works on arithmetic and navigation.

Other individuals of note include Sir Nicholas Jenson (c. 1585-1668), an English judge and politician who served as a Member of Parliament, and John Jenson (1759-1824), an English naval officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and was later knighted for his service.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Jenson was particularly prevalent in parts of northern England, such as Yorkshire and Lancashire, where it was sometimes spelled as "Jenison" or "Jennison." Place names like Jenkinson and Jenison in these regions may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jenson

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

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

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

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