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

Jex, 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 Jex surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jex in America

Jex is the 26189th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jex surname appeared 934 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 Jex.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jex 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 Jex

The surname Jex originated in England during the late medieval period, deriving from the Old English personal name "Gegga" or "Gegge." This name was a diminutive form of the Old English name "Geg," which itself derived from the Germanic root "gag," meaning "to go." The earliest known bearer of the name was Roger Jex, recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Essex in 1198.

The surname Jex is believed to have its roots in the county of Essex, where many early bearers of the name resided. In the 13th century, the name appeared as "Gagge" and "Geg" in various records from the region. As time passed, the spelling evolved to "Gege," "Gegg," and eventually "Jex" by the 16th century.

One notable early reference to the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded a William Gege in Norfolk. The earliest documented use of the spelling "Jex" dates back to 1524, when a John Jex was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Warwickshire.

Several notable individuals bearing the surname Jex have left their mark throughout history. William Jex (1592-1659) was an English clergyman and academic who served as the rector of St. Michael's Church in Coventry. Thomas Jex (1646-1719) was a distinguished English divine and author who served as the rector of Petworth in Sussex.

In the 18th century, John Jex (1756-1824) was a prominent English clergyman and author, best known for his work "The Reasonableness of the Christian Religion." William Jex-Blake (1813-1901) was a distinguished English barrister and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Durham from 1857 to 1859.

One of the most famous bearers of the surname was Sophia Jex-Blake (1840-1912), a pioneering English physician and teacher who campaigned for women's rights to enter the medical profession. She was one of the first women to be admitted to study medicine in Britain and played a crucial role in opening up the field of medicine to women.

The surname Jex has a rich history rooted in medieval England, evolving from an Old English personal name and spreading throughout various regions of the country over the centuries. While relatively uncommon today, the name has been borne by several notable individuals who have left a lasting impact in various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jex

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

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

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

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