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

Jeremiah, 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 Jeremiah surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jeremiah in America

Jeremiah is the 17745th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jeremiah surname appeared 1,579 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Jeremiah.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jeremiah 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 Jeremiah

The surname Jeremiah is of Hebrew origin, derived from the Hebrew name Yirmeyahu, which means "Yahweh has uplifted" or "Yahweh will exalt." It is a biblical name associated with the prophet Jeremiah, who lived in the 7th century BCE in ancient Judah.

Jeremiah is a patronymic surname, meaning it was initially derived from the given name of the father or an ancestor. It became a hereditary surname in English-speaking countries during the late medieval period, when surnames were adopted to distinguish individuals and families.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Jeremiah can be found in England, particularly in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, where it was first documented in the late 13th century. One of the earliest references to the name is in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dating back to 1273, which mentions a John Jeremie.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as Jeremye, Jermy, and Jermyn, reflecting the linguistic variations and regional dialects of the time. The surname was also associated with place names, such as Jermyn Street in London, which was named after Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of St. Albans (1605-1684), a prominent courtier during the reign of Charles I and Charles II.

Notable individuals with the surname Jeremiah throughout history include:

1. John Jeremiah (1758-1824), an English inventor and engineer known for his contributions to the textile industry and the development of the Cromford Canal.

2. James Jeremiah (1809-1883), an American politician who served as the 13th Governor of Connecticut from 1861 to 1865.

3. Thomas Jeremiah (1825-1890), a Welsh Baptist minister and writer who authored several works on religious and historical subjects.

4. James Jeremiah (1868-1942), a British politician and trade unionist who served as the Member of Parliament for Barnsley from 1906 to 1922.

5. John Jeremiah Sullivan (born 1974), an American writer, and journalist known for his essays and works of literary non-fiction.

While the surname Jeremiah has biblical roots, it has been widely adopted and used across various cultures and regions, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jeremiah

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

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

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

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