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

Jester, 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 Jester surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jester in America

Jester is the 4676th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jester surname appeared 7,587 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 Jester.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jester 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 Jester

The surname Jester is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "gestour" or "jestour," meaning a reciter of tales or jester. This name first emerged in England during the late 12th century.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Jester can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1190, where a man named Richard le Gestour was listed. The name was likely given to individuals who performed as court jesters or entertainers during the medieval period.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Gestour, Gester, and Jestour, reflecting the evolution of the spelling over time. One notable early bearer of the name was John le Gestour, a landowner in Essex mentioned in the Feet of Fines records in 1285.

The name Jester is also associated with several place names in England, such as Jester's Hill in Buckinghamshire and Jester's Close in Oxfordshire. These place names may have been derived from individuals with the surname Jester who lived or owned land in those areas.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the surname Jester. One example is William Jester (1544-1623), an English playwright and actor who performed for Queen Elizabeth I. Another is John Jester (1592-1658), a Puritan minister and author who served as the vicar of Boxwell in Gloucestershire.

In the 18th century, Thomas Jester (1720-1805) was a prominent English merchant and landowner in Bristol. His son, William Jester (1755-1832), became a respected lawyer and served as a member of parliament for Shaftesbury.

Moving into the 19th century, George Jester (1815-1891) was a British naval officer who served in the Crimean War and later became an admiral in the Royal Navy.

While the surname Jester has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, through immigration and migration patterns.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jester

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

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

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

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