2000
#7,515
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,086
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.51
Rare Last name
Jiles
Derived from the French name "Gilles," likely referring to someone from Gilles or associated with St. Giles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,630 Americans carry the last name Jiles. That puts it at #7,881 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 74,029 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jiles 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 Jiles with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 74,029
Census rank
#7,881
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,038 bearers of the surname Jiles in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7881st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jiles, the largest self-reported group is Black at 62.6%. The next largest groups are White (28.3%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jiles
The surname JILES is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to derive from the Old English given name "Giles," which was derived from the Greek name "Aegidius," meaning "young goat" or "kid."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname JILES can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and properties in England compiled in 1086 under the direction of William the Conqueror. This suggests that individuals bearing this name were present in England as early as the 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the surname JILES was particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset in the southwest of England. It is believed that the name may have originated as a locational surname, referring to individuals who hailed from specific places or settlements with names derived from "Giles," such as Gileston or Gilsland.
In the 13th century, a notable individual named Richard Jiles is mentioned in historical records as a landowner in the village of Tormerton, Gloucestershire. Another early reference is found in the Pipe Rolls of Wiltshire from 1268, which record a Robert Jiles as a taxpayer.
Over the centuries, the surname JILES has undergone various spelling variations, including Jyles, Jylis, Jylys, and Giles. These variations were common during a time when spelling conventions were not standardized, and names were often recorded phonetically.
Among the notable individuals who bore the surname JILES throughout history are:
1. William Jiles (c. 1545-1628), an English clergyman and author from Somerset, known for his religious writings and sermons.
2. John Jiles (1616-1700), a prominent merchant and landowner in Virginia, United States, who immigrated from England in the mid-17th century.
3. Elizabeth Jiles (1688-1756), an English poet and writer from Gloucestershire, known for her collection of poems titled "Poetical Musings."
4. Thomas Jiles (1745-1805), a British soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later served as a military administrator in Canada.
5. Mary Jiles (1823-1904), an English educator and advocate for women's rights, who founded several schools for girls in London.
While the surname JILES has roots in medieval England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration, contributing to the rich tapestry of cultural diversity.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jiles
Among Census respondents with the surname Jiles, the largest self-reported group is Black at 62.6%. The next largest groups are White (28.3%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Jiles 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 Jiles surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American62.6% · 2,526
- White28.3% · 1,141
- Two or more races5.1% · 207
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 126
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jiles
Jiles 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
#7,500
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,441
+355 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 1.51
Rank movement Up 15 places
2020
#7,881
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,038
-403 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 1.35
Rank movement Down 381 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,515 | 4,086 | 1.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,500 | 4,441 | 1.51 | +355 bearers (+8.7%) | Up 15 places |
| 2020 | #7,881 | 4,038 | 1.35 | -403 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 381 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 Jiles 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 | #7,500 | #7,881 | -5.1% |
| Count | 4,441 | 4,038 | -9.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.51 | 1.35 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jiles bearers went from 4,441 to 4,038 (-9.1% change). The surname moved down 381 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,500 to #7,881.
FAQ
Jiles surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jiles?
Name Census estimates that about 4,630 living Americans carry the surname Jiles. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 74,029 residents.
How common is Jiles?
Jiles ranks #7,881 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.35 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 4,038 people with the surname Jiles. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,630), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.35 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 Jiles.
Has Jiles become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jiles went from 4,441 recorded bearers to 4,038. That is a decrease of 403 (-9.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,500 to #7,881.
What does the Census say about the background of Jiles?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jiles, the largest self-reported group is Black at 62.6%. The next largest groups are White (28.3%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Jiles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.6% (2,526 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jiles appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (62.6%), White (28.3%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Jiles (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 Jiles mean?
Derived from the French name "Gilles," likely referring to someone from Gilles or associated with St. Giles. 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 Jiles (1.35 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 have the last name Jiles?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Jiles on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.