2000
#4,082
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,030
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.98
Rare Last name
Jewett
A surname derived from the Middle English personal name Juet, a diminutive of the Old French name Jeudon.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,028 Americans carry the last name Jewett. That puts it at #4,354 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,966 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jewett 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Jewett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.0K
1 in 37,966
Census rank
#4,354
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,873 bearers of the surname Jewett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4354th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jewett, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jewett
The surname Jewett originated in England, with its earliest known roots tracing back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "jouette," meaning a small hill or mound. This reflects the name's geographic origins in areas with hilly or undulating terrain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1279, where it appears as "William de la Jouette." This suggests that the name was initially used as a locative surname, referring to someone living near or on a small hill.
The name underwent various spelling variations over the centuries, including Jouet, Joyet, and Jowett, before settling into its modern form of Jewett. These variations can be found in historical records across different regions of England, particularly in counties like Yorkshire and Gloucestershire.
In the 16th century, the Jewett surname gained prominence with the birth of John Jewett (c. 1562-1615), an English prelate who served as Bishop of Sodor and Man from 1604 until his death. Another notable figure was Randolph Jewett (1611-1675), a merchant and landowner in Massachusetts, who is considered one of the early settlers of Rowley, Massachusetts.
The name also has connections to place names, such as Jewitt's Hill in Derbyshire, which may have derived its name from an early bearer of the surname. Additionally, the village of Jewitt's Ford in Berkshire is believed to have taken its name from a similar source.
Other notable individuals with the Jewett surname include:
1. Sarah Orne Jewett (1849-1909), an influential American novelist and short story writer from New England.
2. Freeborn Garrettson Jewett (1791-1858), an early American Methodist circuit rider and evangelist.
3. Hugh Jewett (1817-1898), an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Representative from Ohio.
4. Charles Coffin Jewett (1816-1868), an American librarian and bibliographer who served as the first Superintendent of the Boston Public Library.
5. Thomas Jewett (1767-1842), an American businessman and politician who served as the 16th Governor of Maryland.
While the Jewett surname has its origins in England, it has been carried across the globe by various individuals and families, making it a part of many countries' histories and cultures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jewett
Among Census respondents with the surname Jewett, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Jewett 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 Jewett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.6% · 6,658
- Black or African American5.2% · 410
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 342
- Two or more races3.6% · 282
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 124
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 57
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jewett
Jewett 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
#4,254
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,330
+300 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 2.82
Rank movement Down 172 places
2020
#4,354
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,873
-457 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 2.63
Rank movement Down 100 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,082 | 8,030 | 2.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,254 | 8,330 | 2.82 | +300 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 172 places |
| 2020 | #4,354 | 7,873 | 2.63 | -457 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 100 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 Jewett 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 | #4,254 | #4,354 | -2.4% |
| Count | 8,330 | 7,873 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.82 | 2.63 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jewett bearers went from 8,330 to 7,873 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 100 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,254 to #4,354.
FAQ
Jewett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jewett?
Name Census estimates that about 9,028 living Americans carry the surname Jewett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,966 residents.
How common is Jewett?
Jewett ranks #4,354 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,873 people with the surname Jewett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,028), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Jewett.
Has Jewett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jewett went from 8,330 recorded bearers to 7,873. That is a decrease of 457 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,254 to #4,354.
What does the Census say about the background of Jewett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jewett, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Jewett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.6% (6,658 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jewett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.6%), Black (5.2%), Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Jewett (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 Jewett mean?
A surname derived from the Middle English personal name Juet, a diminutive of the Old French name Jeudon. 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 Jewett (2.63 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 are called Jewett?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Jewett on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.