2000
#88,461
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 195
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Jericho
A biblical place name deriving from Hebrew origins.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 282 Americans carry the last name Jericho. That puts it at #82,600 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,215,441 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jericho 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
282
1 in 1,215,441
Census rank
#82,600
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
246
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 246 bearers of the surname Jericho in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 82600th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jericho, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (20.3%) and Hispanic (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jericho
The surname Jericho originates from the Middle Eastern region, specifically the ancient city of Jericho, which is considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The name is derived from the Hebrew word "Yericho," meaning "fragrant place" or "place of fragrance."
Jericho is a biblical city mentioned in the Old Testament, and its name is rooted in the ancient Semitic languages. The city's significance in religious and historical contexts likely contributed to the adoption of its name as a surname. The earliest recorded instances of the surname Jericho date back to the 12th century, when it was used by individuals associated with the city or those who had traveled there.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Jericho can be found in the Domesday Book, a record of land holdings compiled in 1086 for William the Conqueror. The name is mentioned in connection with a landowner or tenant from the region. This entry provides valuable insight into the early use and spread of the surname throughout England.
In the 13th century, a notable figure with the surname Jericho was Sir William de Jericho, a crusader who participated in the Third Crusade (1189-1192) and fought alongside King Richard I, also known as Richard the Lionheart. Sir William's participation in the crusades and his association with the Holy Land likely contributed to the adoption of the surname.
Another significant bearer of the name was John Jericho, a 14th-century English scholar and theologian. He was a prominent figure at the University of Oxford and authored several works on theology and philosophy. His contributions to academia and his association with the city of Oxford further solidified the surname's presence in England.
During the 16th century, a branch of the Jericho family settled in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of the renowned playwright William Shakespeare. Records indicate that a Thomas Jericho was a prominent citizen and landowner in the area during Shakespeare's lifetime, though no direct connection between the two families has been established.
In the 18th century, Samuel Jericho (1704-1782) was a notable English merchant and philanthropist. He amassed a considerable fortune through his trading ventures and became known for his charitable contributions, particularly in supporting education and establishing schools in his hometown.
Throughout the centuries, the surname Jericho has been associated with various locations and place names, such as Jericho Plantations in Jamaica, Jericho Village in Vermont, and Jericho Hill in England, reflecting the widespread adoption and migration of individuals bearing this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jericho
Among Census respondents with the surname Jericho, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (20.3%) and Hispanic (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Jericho 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 Jericho surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.7% · 174
- Asian and Pacific Islander20.3% · 50
- Hispanic or Latino5.7% · 14
- Two or more races1.6% · 4
- Black or African American0.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jericho
Jericho 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
#86,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 217
+22 bearers (+11.3%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 2,456 places
2020
#82,600
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 246
+29 bearers (+13.4%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 3,405 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #88,461 | 195 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #86,005 | 217 | 0.07 | +22 bearers (+11.3%) | Up 2,456 places |
| 2020 | #82,600 | 246 | 0.08 | +29 bearers (+13.4%) | Up 3,405 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 Jericho 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 | #86,005 | #82,600 | 4.0% |
| Count | 217 | 246 | 13.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.08 | 17.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jericho bearers went from 217 to 246 (+13.4% change). The surname moved up 3,405 positions in the national ranking, going from #86,005 to #82,600.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Jericho
FAQ
Jericho surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jericho?
Name Census estimates that about 282 living Americans carry the surname Jericho. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,215,441 residents.
How common is Jericho?
Jericho ranks #82,600 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 246 people with the surname Jericho. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (282), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Jericho.
Has Jericho become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jericho went from 217 recorded bearers to 246. That is an increase of 29 (+13.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #86,005 to #82,600.
What does the Census say about the background of Jericho?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jericho, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (20.3%) and Hispanic (5.7%). 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 Jericho in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.7% (174 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jericho appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (20.3%), Hispanic (5.7%). 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 Jericho (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 Jericho mean?
A biblical place name deriving from Hebrew origins. 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 Jericho (0.08 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 share the surname Jericho?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.