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

Jew, 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 Jew surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jew in America

Jew is the 19105th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jew surname appeared 1,424 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 Jew.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jew 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 Jew

The surname "Jew" is of English origin, derived from the Middle English word "Jew," which was used to refer to a person of Jewish descent or faith. The name can be traced back to the 12th century in England, during a period when Jewish communities were established in various parts of the country.

One of the earliest recorded references to the surname "Jew" can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Bedfordshire from the year 1202, where a person named Samson Jew is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use as a descriptive term or identifier at the time.

The surname "Jew" may have originated as a way to distinguish individuals of Jewish faith or ancestry from the Christian majority population in medieval England. It was likely used as a descriptive nickname or byname before becoming an inherited surname.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, which mentions a person named Solomon le Jeu. The spelling variation "Jeu" reflects the evolution of the name over time.

During the Middle Ages, the surname "Jew" was also associated with certain occupations or professions that were commonly associated with Jewish communities, such as money lending, trade, and skilled crafts.

Notable historical figures with the surname "Jew" include:

1. Benedict Jew (c. 1300-1361), a wealthy Jewish financier and landlord in England during the reign of Edward III.
2. Isaac Jew (fl. 1290-1320), a prominent Jewish moneylender and landowner in London and Oxfordshire.
3. Moses Jew (c. 1350-1420), a Jewish scholar and physician who lived in York and was known for his medical expertise.
4. Aaron Jew (c. 1280-1345), a Jewish merchant and moneylender active in Gloucestershire and Worcestershire.
5. Solomon Jew (c. 1320-1390), a Jewish scholar and rabbi who was influential in the Jewish community of London.

It is important to note that the use of the surname "Jew" was often a reflection of the social and legal status of Jewish communities in medieval England, where they faced various forms of discrimination and persecution.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jew

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

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

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

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