2000
#113,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 143
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Jessey
A variant spelling of the surname Jesse, derived from a pet form of the personal name Jesus.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Jessey. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jessey 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Jessey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Jessey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jessey, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (10.7%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jessey
The surname Jessey originates from England, with roots dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English personal name "Jesse," which was initially brought to Britain by the Normans after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Jesse is rooted in the Hebrew name "Yishai," meaning "gift" or "to be."
Historical records indicate that the Jessey surname first appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population conducted by order of William the Conqueror. The earliest known bearer of the name was Roger Jessey, who resided in Norfolk during the late 11th century.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the Jessey surname was predominantly found in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex in East Anglia. Various spellings of the name were also recorded, such as Jessye, Jessy, and Jessi, reflecting the lack of standardized spelling during that era.
One of the earliest notable figures bearing the Jessey surname was Henry Jessey (1601-1663), an English Puritan minister and scholar. He played a significant role in the formation of the Baptist church in England and was a prominent figure during the Puritan Revolution.
Another historical figure was Edward Jessey (1670-1723), an English mathematician and surveyor. He was renowned for his contributions to the development of cartography and surveying techniques.
In the 18th century, John Jessey (1720-1788) was a respected English botanist and horticulturist. He made significant contributions to the study of plants and their cultivation, becoming a prominent figure in the field of botany.
During the 19th century, the Jessey surname gained recognition through the works of William Jessey (1825-1898), an English painter and illustrator. His paintings and illustrations, often depicting rural scenes and landscapes, were highly acclaimed during his lifetime.
Another notable bearer of the Jessey surname was Margaret Jessey (1870-1942), a British suffragette and activist. She played a crucial role in the women's suffrage movement, advocating for women's rights and equal voting rights.
The Jessey surname has a rich history, originating from England and spanning several centuries. Its roots can be traced back to the Old English and Norman influences, with notable individuals bearing the name contributing to various fields, including religion, mathematics, botany, art, and activism.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jessey
Among Census respondents with the surname Jessey, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (10.7%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Jessey 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 Jessey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.3% · 96
- Black or African American10.7% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 5
- Two or more races3.3% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jessey
Jessey 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
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
-16 bearers (-11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,529 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-6 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,261 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #113,519 | 143 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-11.2%) | Down 19,529 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 8,261 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 Jessey 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 | #133,048 | #141,309 | -6.2% |
| Count | 127 | 121 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jessey bearers went from 127 to 121 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 8,261 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #141,309.
FAQ
Jessey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jessey?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Jessey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Jessey?
Jessey ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Jessey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Jessey.
Has Jessey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jessey went from 127 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 6 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Jessey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jessey, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (10.7%) and Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Jessey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.3% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jessey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.3%), Black (10.7%), Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Jessey (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 Jessey mean?
A variant spelling of the surname Jesse, derived from a pet form of the personal name Jesus. 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 Jessey (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 common is the surname Jessey?
Find out how many people have the surname Jessey on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.