2000
#13,912
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,990
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Jetton
A topographic surname derived from a place name referring to a person living near a fountain or spring.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,148 Americans carry the last name Jetton. That puts it at #15,115 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 159,569 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jetton 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
2.1K
1 in 159,569
Census rank
#15,115
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,873 bearers of the surname Jetton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15115th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jetton, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.0%. The next largest groups are Black (10.5%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jetton
The surname Jetton is of English origin and is believed to have derived from the Old French word "jeton," which referred to a small coin or token used for counting or keeping score in games. The name likely emerged during the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Jetton date back to the 13th century in various English records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273 and the Subsidy Rolls of 1327. It is possible that the name was initially adopted by individuals involved in minting or handling coins, as the term "jeton" was commonly used in reference to coin-makers or money-changers.
In the 14th century, the surname Jetton appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379, suggesting that the name had spread to various regions of England by that time. The spelling variations included Geton, Jettone, and Jettoun, reflecting the evolution of the name over time.
One notable individual bearing the surname Jetton was Sir John Jetton, a prominent English merchant and financier who lived in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. He was actively involved in trade and finance, lending substantial sums to King Henry IV and holding influential positions in the city of London.
Another historical figure with the surname Jetton was Thomas Jetton, a 16th-century English clergyman and scholar. He was born in Shropshire in 1535 and served as the rector of St. Dunstan-in-the-West in London. Jetton was known for his expertise in Greek and Hebrew and contributed to the translation of the Geneva Bible.
During the 17th century, the Jetton surname was particularly prevalent in the county of Suffolk, England. One notable member of this family was Robert Jetton, a wealthy landowner and justice of the peace who lived from 1620 to 1685. He was involved in local politics and held significant influence in his community.
In the 18th century, the name Jetton appeared in various parish records across England, including in the counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Dorset. One noteworthy individual from this period was William Jetton, a successful merchant and ship owner who lived in Bristol from 1745 to 1810.
Throughout the 19th century, the Jetton surname continued to be present in various parts of England, with families residing in counties such as Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, and Lancashire. Notable individuals from this era include John Jetton, a prominent industrialist and factory owner who lived in Manchester from 1820 to 1892, and Elizabeth Jetton, a renowned novelist and poet born in London in 1835.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jetton
Among Census respondents with the surname Jetton, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.0%. The next largest groups are Black (10.5%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Jetton 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 Jetton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.0% · 1,443
- Black or African American10.5% · 197
- Two or more races5.9% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 49
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jetton
Jetton 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
#14,695
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,023
+33 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 783 places
2020
#15,115
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,873
-150 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 420 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,912 | 1,990 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,695 | 2,023 | 0.69 | +33 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 783 places |
| 2020 | #15,115 | 1,873 | 0.63 | -150 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 420 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 Jetton 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 | #14,695 | #15,115 | -2.9% |
| Count | 2,023 | 1,873 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.63 | -9.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jetton bearers went from 2,023 to 1,873 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 420 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,695 to #15,115.
FAQ
Jetton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jetton?
Name Census estimates that about 2,148 living Americans carry the surname Jetton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 159,569 residents.
How common is Jetton?
Jetton ranks #15,115 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,873 people with the surname Jetton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,148), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Jetton.
Has Jetton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jetton went from 2,023 recorded bearers to 1,873. That is a decrease of 150 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,695 to #15,115.
What does the Census say about the background of Jetton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jetton, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.0%. The next largest groups are Black (10.5%) and Two or More Races (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 Jetton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.0% (1,443 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jetton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.0%), Black (10.5%), Two or More Races (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 Jetton (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 Jetton mean?
A topographic surname derived from a place name referring to a person living near a fountain or spring. 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 Jetton (0.63 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 Jetton?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.