2000
#49,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 400
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Very Rare Last name
Jesson
A variant of the surname 'Jesse', derived from the biblical name 'Jesse'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 490 Americans carry the last name Jesson. That puts it at #52,477 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 699,499 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jesson 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 Jesson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
490
1 in 699,499
Census rank
#52,477
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
427
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 427 bearers of the surname Jesson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 52477th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jesson, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.8%) and Hispanic (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jesson
The surname Jesson has its origins in England, arising in the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the medieval given name Jesse, which itself comes from the Hebrew name Yishay, meaning "gift" or "wealthy." The Jesson surname arose as a patronymic, indicating the person was the son of Jesse or a variant spelling.
Early recordings of the name can be found in historical records such as the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1273, where a William Jesses is listed. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296 also mention a John Gesse. These variations in spelling were common in the development of surnames during the Middle Ages.
One notable early bearer of the name was John Jesson, born around 1520 in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire. He served as a member of parliament for Coventry in 1553 and was also a successful merchant and landowner in the area.
Another significant figure was Thomas Jesson, born in 1636 in Staffordshire. He was a prominent Puritan minister and author, known for his work "The Scripture Weighing All Opinions and Traditions" published in 1674.
In the 18th century, William Jesson, born in 1737 in Staffordshire, was a notable industrialist and entrepreneur. He established a successful pottery business and was involved in the early development of the industrial revolution in the area.
The Jesson surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Jesson's Hill in Staffordshire, which likely derived its name from an early landholder with the Jesson surname.
Other notable individuals with the Jesson surname include:
1. Henry Jesson (1768-1830), an English architect known for his work on several churches in Staffordshire.
2. Thomas Jesson (1805-1876), a British engineer and inventor who developed improvements in the design of steam engines.
3. Mary Jesson (1824-1892), an English artist and painter known for her landscapes and portraits.
4. William Jesson (1850-1920), a British trade unionist and politician who served as a member of parliament for St. Pancras West from 1885 to 1900.
5. Robert Jesson (1917-1999), a British actor and playwright who appeared in several television and film productions in the mid-20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jesson
Among Census respondents with the surname Jesson, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.8%) and Hispanic (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Jesson 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 Jesson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.0% · 350
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.8% · 29
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 25
- Two or more races4.9% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jesson
Jesson 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
#52,851
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 392
-8 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 3,485 places
2020
#52,477
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 427
+35 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Up 374 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #49,366 | 400 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #52,851 | 392 | 0.13 | -8 bearers (-2.0%) | Down 3,485 places |
| 2020 | #52,477 | 427 | 0.14 | +35 bearers (+8.9%) | Up 374 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 Jesson 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 | #52,851 | #52,477 | 0.7% |
| Count | 392 | 427 | 8.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.14 | 9.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jesson bearers went from 392 to 427 (+8.9% change). The surname moved up 374 positions in the national ranking, going from #52,851 to #52,477.
FAQ
Jesson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jesson?
Name Census estimates that about 490 living Americans carry the surname Jesson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 699,499 residents.
How common is Jesson?
Jesson ranks #52,477 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 427 people with the surname Jesson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (490), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Jesson.
Has Jesson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jesson went from 392 recorded bearers to 427. That is an increase of 35 (+8.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #52,851 to #52,477.
What does the Census say about the background of Jesson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jesson, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.8%) and Hispanic (5.9%). 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 Jesson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.0% (350 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jesson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.8%), Hispanic (5.9%). 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 Jesson (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 Jesson mean?
A variant of the surname 'Jesse', derived from the biblical name 'Jesse'. 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 Jesson (0.14 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 Jesson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.