2010
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Jesensky
Of Slovak origin, an occupational surname referring to someone who harvests or works with crops in autumn.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Jesensky. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jesensky 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Jesensky in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jesensky, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jesensky
The surname Jesensky originates from the Slovak region of Central Europe, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Slovak word "jesen," meaning "autumn," possibly indicating a connection to an occupation or place associated with the fall season.
One of the earliest known references to the name Jesensky can be found in the records of the town of Banska Bystrica in present-day Slovakia, where a merchant named Jan Jesensky was mentioned in a document from 1562. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.
During the 17th century, the Jesensky surname gained prominence with the life of Jan Jesensky (1566-1621), a Slovak humanist, physician, and writer who served as personal physician to several Hungarian nobles. His works, which included medical treatises and philosophical writings, earned him recognition throughout Central Europe.
Another notable figure with the Jesensky surname was Ján Jesenskỳ (1592-1650), a Slovak Protestant minister and educator who played a significant role in the development of Slovak literary language and education. He authored several religious works and contributed to the translation of the Bible into Slovak.
In the 18th century, the name Jesensky appeared in the records of the town of Trenčín, with the mention of a family of landowners and nobles bearing the surname. One member of this family, Samuel Jesensky (1734-1809), was a prominent jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Hungarian court system.
Moving into the 19th century, the Jesensky surname gained further recognition with the life of Ján Jesenský (1827-1899), a Slovak writer, journalist, and political activist who fought for Slovak national rights and the preservation of Slovak culture and language during the era of Hungarian rule.
Throughout its history, the surname Jesensky has maintained a strong presence in Slovak and Central European regions, with various individuals bearing the name contributing to fields such as literature, education, law, and politics. While the name's origins may be rooted in an association with the autumn season, its enduring legacy reflects the rich cultural and intellectual traditions of the Slovak people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jesensky
Among Census respondents with the surname Jesensky, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Jesensky 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 Jesensky surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 6
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jesensky
Jesensky appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-16 bearers (-12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,342 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.9%) | Down 15,342 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 Jesensky 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 | #135,593 | #150,935 | -11.3% |
| Count | 124 | 108 | -12.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jesensky bearers went from 124 to 108 (-12.9% change). The surname moved down 15,342 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #150,935.
FAQ
Jesensky surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jesensky?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Jesensky. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Jesensky?
Jesensky ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 108 people with the surname Jesensky. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Jesensky.
Has Jesensky become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jesensky went from 124 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 16 (-12.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Jesensky?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jesensky, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Jesensky in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jesensky appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (5.6%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Jesensky (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 Jesensky mean?
Of Slovak origin, an occupational surname referring to someone who harvests or works with crops in autumn. 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 Jesensky (0.04 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 Jesensky?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.