2000
#4,357
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,532
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.79
Rare Last name
Jenson
Son of Jens, a patronymic surname of Scandinavian origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,928 Americans carry the last name Jenson. That puts it at #4,419 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,391 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jenson 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Jenson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.9K
1 in 38,391
Census rank
#4,419
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,786 bearers of the surname Jenson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4419th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jenson, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jenson
Among Census respondents with the surname Jenson, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Jenson 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 Jenson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 6,945
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 267
- Two or more races3.3% · 257
- Black or African American2.5% · 192
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 74
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 51
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jenson
Jenson 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
#4,461
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,956
+424 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 2.70
Rank movement Down 104 places
2020
#4,419
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,786
-170 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 2.60
Rank movement Up 42 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,357 | 7,532 | 2.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,461 | 7,956 | 2.70 | +424 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 104 places |
| 2020 | #4,419 | 7,786 | 2.60 | -170 bearers (-2.1%) | Up 42 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 Jenson 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 | #4,461 | #4,419 | 0.9% |
| Count | 7,956 | 7,786 | -2.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.70 | 2.60 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jenson bearers went from 7,956 to 7,786 (-2.1% change). The surname moved up 42 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,461 to #4,419.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Jenson
FAQ
Jenson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jenson?
Name Census estimates that about 8,928 living Americans carry the surname Jenson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,391 residents.
How common is Jenson?
Jenson ranks #4,419 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,786 people with the surname Jenson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,928), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Jenson.
Has Jenson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jenson went from 7,956 recorded bearers to 7,786. That is a decrease of 170 (-2.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,461 to #4,419.
What does the Census say about the background of Jenson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jenson, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Jenson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (6,945 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jenson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Jenson (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 Jenson mean?
Son of Jens, a patronymic surname of Scandinavian origin. 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 Jenson (2.60 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 people are called Jenson?
You can see how many people have the last name Jenson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.