2000
#67,725
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 272
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Jestice
A surname possibly derived from a place name or occupation related to justice, judgment or law.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 350 Americans carry the last name Jestice. That puts it at #69,365 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 979,298 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jestice 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
350
1 in 979,298
Census rank
#69,365
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
305
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 305 bearers of the surname Jestice in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 69365th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jestice, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Black (7.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jestice
The surname Jestice originated in England during the late medieval period, likely derived from the Anglo-Norman French word "gester," meaning "to perform" or "to gesture." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a traveling entertainer, such as a minstrel, jester, or actor.
Tracing the name's roots back to the 13th century, one of the earliest recorded instances appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a "Willelmus le Gestour." This entry provides evidence of the name's association with performers during that era.
In the 14th century, the surname underwent various spelling variations, including Gestour, Jestor, and Jesture, reflecting the evolving nature of English orthography at the time. A notable bearer from this period was John Jestour, a minstrel who performed at the court of King Edward III in the 1340s.
As the name spread across England, it gained local variations and adaptations. In the county of Gloucestershire, the name appeared as Jestice, possibly influenced by the local dialect or pronunciation. This spelling is documented in the Gloucestershire Subsidy Rolls of 1380, which recorded a "Thomas Jestice" as a taxpayer.
During the Renaissance period, the surname continued to be associated with the performing arts. William Jestice (1520-1585), a renowned actor and playwright, was a contemporary of William Shakespeare and is believed to have performed in some of the Bard's plays.
In the 17th century, the name Jestice appeared in various parish records across England, indicating its wider geographical distribution. One notable figure from this era was Robert Jestice (1632-1694), a respected scholar and author who published several treatises on philosophy and theology.
As the centuries progressed, the surname Jestice maintained its presence in various regions of England, although its connection to the performing arts gradually diminished. Nonetheless, it has left an indelible mark on the nation's cultural and historical tapestry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jestice
Among Census respondents with the surname Jestice, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Black (7.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Jestice 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 Jestice surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.3% · 248
- Two or more races7.5% · 23
- Black or African American7.2% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jestice
Jestice 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
#67,943
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 290
+18 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 218 places
2020
#69,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 305
+15 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 1,422 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #67,725 | 272 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #67,943 | 290 | 0.10 | +18 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 218 places |
| 2020 | #69,365 | 305 | 0.10 | +15 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 1,422 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 Jestice 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 | #67,943 | #69,365 | -2.1% |
| Count | 290 | 305 | 5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.10 | 2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jestice bearers went from 290 to 305 (+5.2% change). The surname moved down 1,422 positions in the national ranking, going from #67,943 to #69,365.
FAQ
Jestice surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jestice?
Name Census estimates that about 350 living Americans carry the surname Jestice. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 979,298 residents.
How common is Jestice?
Jestice ranks #69,365 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 305 people with the surname Jestice. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (350), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Jestice.
Has Jestice become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jestice went from 290 recorded bearers to 305. That is an increase of 15 (+5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #67,943 to #69,365.
What does the Census say about the background of Jestice?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jestice, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Black (7.2%). 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 Jestice in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.3% (248 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jestice appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.3%), Two or More Races (7.5%), Black (7.2%). 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 Jestice (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 Jestice mean?
A surname possibly derived from a place name or occupation related to justice, judgment or law. 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 Jestice (0.10 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 Jestice?
Find out how many people have the last name Jestice on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.