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

Jethro, 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 Jethro surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jethro in America

Jethro is the 129825th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jethro surname appeared 131 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Jethro.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jethro 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 Jethro

The surname Jethro is believed to have originated from the Hebrew name Yithro, meaning "his excellence" or "his remnant." It is a biblical name derived from the name of Moses' father-in-law, who was a Midianite priest.

Jethro is an anglicized version of the Hebrew name, adapted for use in English-speaking countries. The name first appeared in written records in the 16th century, particularly in England and parts of Europe where the Bible was widely read and studied.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Jethro can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Warwickshire, England, dating back to 1588. The entry mentions a man named Thomas Jethro, who was a landowner in the area.

In the 17th century, the surname Jethro began to appear more frequently in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire. This may have been due to the increasing popularity of the Bible and the name's association with the biblical figure.

One notable individual with the surname Jethro was Thomas Jethro Craven (1796-1846), an English scientist and inventor. He is credited with developing a mechanical printing press and contributing to the advancement of printing technology in the 19th century.

Another remarkable figure was Jethro Tull (1674-1741), an English agricultural pioneer and inventor. He is renowned for his contributions to the development of seed drills and other innovative farming techniques, which greatly improved agricultural productivity.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Jethro dates back to the late 17th century. Jethro Coffin (1631-1719), a Quaker settler from England, was among the first English settlers on the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts.

Another notable American with the surname Jethro was Jethro Wood (1804-1886), a politician and businessman from New York. He served as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of New York and was involved in various commercial ventures, including the construction of railroads.

In more recent times, the name Jethro has been associated with the American country music artist Jethro Tull (born Ian Anderson in 1947), whose stage name was inspired by the 18th-century agricultural pioneer mentioned earlier.

While the surname Jethro is not as common today as it once was, it continues to hold historical significance, particularly in its connection to the biblical figure and its representation in various regions of England and the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jethro

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

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

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

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