2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Jeski
An occupational surname derived from Polish referring to a fisherman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Jeski. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jeski 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Jeski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jeski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jeski
The surname Jeski has its origins in the central European region, specifically in Poland. It is believed to have emerged in the late 15th century, derived from the Polish word "jesk," which means "smart" or "clever." This suggests that the name was initially given to individuals who were considered intelligent or quick-witted.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Jeski can be found in the town records of Krakow, Poland, dated 1492. The entry mentions a certain Jan Jeski, a merchant who traded in textiles. It is likely that this individual or his ancestors were among the first to bear the name.
As the Jeski family expanded and dispersed throughout the region, variations in spelling emerged. Some of the alternate spellings included Jesky, Jeskie, and Jeskij. These variations were often influenced by local dialects or the scribe's interpretation of the name.
In the 17th century, the Jeski name appeared in several historical documents, including land records and tax registers. One notable individual from this period was Michal Jeski (1623-1679), a prominent landowner and member of the local nobility in the region of Galicia (modern-day western Ukraine).
During the 18th century, the Jeski surname gained recognition beyond the Polish borders. Jakub Jeski (1745-1813), a skilled craftsman and woodcarver, established a successful workshop in Vienna, Austria, where he created intricate furniture and decorative pieces for the imperial court.
In the 19th century, the name Jeski was associated with several scholars and intellectuals. Stanislaw Jeski (1812-1879) was a renowned linguist and author who published several works on the Polish language and its dialects. Additionally, Kazimierz Jeski (1856-1921) was a respected historian and professor at the University of Krakow.
As the Jeski family spread across Europe, they contributed to various fields, including the arts, literature, and politics. Anna Jeski (1890-1962) was a celebrated painter whose works were exhibited in major galleries throughout Poland and Germany.
While the surname Jeski may not be as common today as it was in its earlier years, it remains a part of the cultural heritage and history of the central European region, particularly in Poland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jeski
Among Census respondents with the surname Jeski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Jeski 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 Jeski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 100
- Two or more races4.7% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jeski
Jeski 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+13 bearers (+12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,484 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-15 bearers (-12.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,035 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.0%) | Up 3,484 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-12.4%) | Down 14,035 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 Jeski 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 | #138,304 | #152,339 | -10.1% |
| Count | 121 | 106 | -12.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jeski bearers went from 121 to 106 (-12.4% change). The surname moved down 14,035 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #152,339.
FAQ
Jeski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jeski?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Jeski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Jeski?
Jeski ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Jeski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Jeski.
Has Jeski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jeski went from 121 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Jeski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jeski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Jeski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jeski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Two or More Races (4.7%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Jeski (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 Jeski mean?
An occupational surname derived from Polish referring to a fisherman. 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 Jeski (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 people share the surname Jeski?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.