2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Jethro
A surname derived from the Hebrew name Yitro, meaning "his excellence" or "abundance".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Jethro. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jethro 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Jethro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jethro, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.5%. The next largest groups are Black (26.7%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jethro
Among Census respondents with the surname Jethro, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.5%. The next largest groups are Black (26.7%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Jethro 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 Jethro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.5% · 76
- Black or African American26.7% · 31
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jethro
Jethro 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
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
+3 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,716 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-15 bearers (-11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,203 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 5,716 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-11.5%) | Down 15,203 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 Jethro 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 | #129,825 | #145,028 | -11.7% |
| Count | 131 | 116 | -11.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jethro bearers went from 131 to 116 (-11.5% change). The surname moved down 15,203 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #145,028.
FAQ
Jethro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jethro?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Jethro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Jethro?
Jethro ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Jethro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Jethro.
Has Jethro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jethro went from 131 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 15 (-11.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Jethro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jethro, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.5%. The next largest groups are Black (26.7%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Jethro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.5% (76 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jethro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.5%), Black (26.7%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Jethro (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 Jethro mean?
A surname derived from the Hebrew name Yitro, meaning "his excellence" or "abundance". 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 Jethro (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 many Americans have the surname Jethro?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.