2000
#13,175
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Jeon
A Korean surname derived from the Hanja character meaning "field" or "farm."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,651 Americans carry the last name Jeon. That puts it at #6,599 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 60,654 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jeon 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
5.7K
1 in 60,654
Census rank
#6,599
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,928 bearers of the surname Jeon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6599th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jeon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jeon
The surname JEON is of Korean origin, with its roots dating back to the Three Kingdoms period (57 BC - 935 AD) of ancient Korea. The name is derived from the Korean word "jeon," which means "front" or "before." It is believed to have been used as a descriptive name for people who lived at the forefront of a village or near the entrance of a town.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the JEON surname can be found in the Samguk Sagi, a historical record of the Three Kingdoms period. This text, written in the 12th century, includes references to individuals bearing the JEON name, indicating its widespread use during that time.
The JEON surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Korean history. For instance, the city of Jeonju, located in the southwestern part of the Korean peninsula, is believed to have derived its name from the JEON surname, suggesting that the area was once inhabited or ruled by a prominent JEON clan.
Notable figures bearing the JEON surname include Jeon Gwanghun (1537-1624), a renowned Confucian scholar and writer during the Joseon Dynasty. He is recognized for his contributions to Korean literature and his scholarly works on Confucian philosophy.
Another prominent individual with the JEON surname is Jeon Hyeong-lip (1808-1893), a renowned calligrapher and artist of the late Joseon period. His works are highly regarded for their artistic mastery and have been preserved in various museums and collections.
In the modern era, Jeon Tae-il (1904-1970) was a prominent Korean painter and art educator. He played a crucial role in the development of Western-style painting in Korea and was instrumental in establishing art education programs in the country.
Jeon Hyun-moo (1828-1876) was a Confucian scholar and renowned poet during the late Joseon Dynasty. His literary works, particularly his poetry, are celebrated for their profound insights and artistic expression.
Lastly, Jeon Seung-cheol (1936-2017) was a renowned Korean actor and filmmaker. He was a pioneering figure in the Korean film industry and is remembered for his versatile performances and contributions to the development of Korean cinema.
These individuals, spanning various eras and fields, exemplify the rich history and cultural significance associated with the JEON surname in Korean society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jeon
Among Census respondents with the surname Jeon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Jeon 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 Jeon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.8% · 4,720
- White2.0% · 101
- Two or more races1.0% · 48
- Black or African American0.6% · 30
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 29
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jeon
Jeon 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
#7,791
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,253
+2,127 bearers (+100.0%)
Per 100,000 1.44
Rank movement Up 5,384 places
2020
#6,599
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,928
+675 bearers (+15.9%)
Per 100,000 1.65
Rank movement Up 1,192 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,175 | 2,126 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,791 | 4,253 | 1.44 | +2,127 bearers (+100.0%) | Up 5,384 places |
| 2020 | #6,599 | 4,928 | 1.65 | +675 bearers (+15.9%) | Up 1,192 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 Jeon 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 | #7,791 | #6,599 | 15.3% |
| Count | 4,253 | 4,928 | 15.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.44 | 1.65 | 14.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jeon bearers went from 4,253 to 4,928 (+15.9% change). The surname moved up 1,192 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,791 to #6,599.
FAQ
Jeon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jeon?
Name Census estimates that about 5,651 living Americans carry the surname Jeon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 60,654 residents.
How common is Jeon?
Jeon ranks #6,599 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,928 people with the surname Jeon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,651), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Jeon.
Has Jeon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jeon went from 4,253 recorded bearers to 4,928. That is an increase of 675 (+15.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,791 to #6,599.
What does the Census say about the background of Jeon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jeon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Jeon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.8% (4,720 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jeon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.8%), White (2.0%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Jeon (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 Jeon mean?
A Korean surname derived from the Hanja character meaning "field" or "farm." 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 Jeon (1.65 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 Jeon?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.