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

Jergens, 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 Jergens surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jergens in America

Jergens is the 47791st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jergens surname appeared 443 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 Jergens.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jergens 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 Jergens

The surname Jergens is of Germanic origin and is believed to have originated in the region of modern-day Germany, likely during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be a variant of the name "Jürgen," which itself is derived from the ancient Germanic name "Georgi," meaning "farmer" or "peasant."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jergens can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis," a collection of historical documents from the region of Brandenburg, dating back to the 13th century. Here, the name appears in various spellings, including "Jürgens," "Jürgens," and "Jürgensen."

In the 14th century, a man named Hans Jergens was mentioned in the "Stadtbuch von Lübeck," a chronicle of the city of Lübeck in northern Germany. This historical reference suggests that the name had already become established in this region by that time.

During the 16th century, the Jergens name appeared in several legal documents and records from the city of Hamburg, indicating the presence of a notable family bearing this surname in the area. One such figure was Johann Jergens, a merchant and ship owner who lived in Hamburg in the late 1500s.

In the 17th century, a prominent individual named Wilhelm Jergens was recorded as a member of the city council in the town of Göttingen, in Lower Saxony. This highlights the name's presence among the local nobility and governing class at that time.

Over the centuries, the Jergens surname has been associated with various professions and occupations, from farmers and artisans to merchants and public officials. Notable bearers of this name include:

1. Andreas Jergens (1564-1628), a German Lutheran theologian and philosopher.
2. Johann Jergens (1670-1737), a Dutch-German painter known for his still-life and portrait works.
3. Friedrich Jergens (1801-1879), a German architect and urban planner who worked on several notable projects in Berlin.
4. Otto Jergens (1854-1924), a German composer and music educator who composed numerous choral works and songs.
5. Else Jergens (1889-1968), a German-born American actress who appeared in several Hollywood films during the 1930s and 1940s.

While the name Jergens has maintained a presence throughout various regions of Germany and other parts of Europe, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jergens

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

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

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

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