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

Jerome, 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 Jerome surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jerome in America

Jerome is the 3885th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jerome surname appeared 9,131 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Jerome.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jerome 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 Jerome

The surname Jerome is of French origin, derived from the Latin name Hieronymus, which itself is derived from the Greek words "hieros" meaning sacred, and "onoma" meaning name. The name Hieronymus was a popular name among early Christians, and it is believed that the surname Jerome emerged in medieval France as a patronymic surname, meaning "son of Jerome."

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Jerome can be traced back to the 12th century in Normandy, France. In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no recorded instances of the surname Jerome, indicating that the name likely emerged after this time period.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Jerome is Geoffrey de Jerome, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195. The Pipe Rolls were a record of financial transactions made by the English government during the Middle Ages.

Another notable individual with the surname Jerome was Jean Jerome, a French scholar and theologian who lived in the 15th century. He was a professor at the University of Paris and authored several works on theology and philosophy.

In the 16th century, the surname Jerome can be found in the records of the English county of Somerset. One notable individual from this time period was William Jerome, who was born in Taunton, Somerset, in 1550. He was a merchant and served as a Member of Parliament for Taunton in 1597.

The surname Jerome also has a long history in Italy, where it is believed to have been introduced by French settlers in the medieval period. One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname in Italy was Giovanni Girolamo, a Venetian painter who lived in the 16th century and was active in the Venetian Renaissance.

In the 17th century, the surname Jerome can be found in the records of the English county of Oxfordshire. One notable individual from this time period was Thomas Jerome, who was born in Oxfordshire in 1660 and became a prominent mathematician and philosopher.

Other notable individuals with the surname Jerome throughout history include:

1. Jeremiah Jerome, an American revolutionary who fought in the American Revolutionary War (1738-1820).
2. Jerome K. Jerome, an English writer and humorist best known for his novel "Three Men in a Boat" (1859-1927).
3. Jennie Jerome, an American socialite and the mother of Winston Churchill (1854-1921).
4. Camille Jerome, a French painter and sculptor known for his works in the Art Nouveau style (1828-1904).
5. Jerome Kern, an American composer of musical theater and popular music (1885-1945).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jerome

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

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

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

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