2000
#14,706
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,853
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Jimmerson
Derived from the given name James, meaning "supplanter" or "one who follows," combined with the suffix -son.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,159 Americans carry the last name Jimmerson. That puts it at #15,050 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 158,756 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jimmerson 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
2.2K
1 in 158,756
Census rank
#15,050
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,883 bearers of the surname Jimmerson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15050th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jimmerson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 46.0%. The next largest groups are White (44.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jimmerson
The surname Jimmerson is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a variant of the name "Jimerson," which is derived from the Old English given name "Gæmere." This name was composed of the elements "gæm," meaning "game" or "joy," and "here," meaning "army."
Jimmerson likely emerged as a patronymic surname, meaning it was originally used to identify someone as the son of a person named Gæmere or a variation thereof. The addition of the suffix "-son" to personal names was a common practice in the development of English surnames.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Jimmerson surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 12th century, where a certain William Jimerson is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time.
In the 13th century, the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire and Bedfordshire contain references to a Robertus filius Jemersone (Robert, son of Jemerson), indicating the continued use of the surname in its various spellings.
The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 list a John Jimmerson among the taxpayers, providing further evidence of the surname's presence in medieval England.
Throughout the centuries, the Jimmerson surname has been associated with various notable individuals. One prominent figure was Sir Thomas Jimmerson (1567-1636), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for the City of London in the early 17th century.
Another notable bearer of the name was Captain William Jimmerson (1725-1802), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and participated in several notable battles.
In the 19th century, Mary Jimmerson (1843-1912) was a prominent British educator and advocate for women's rights, known for her work in establishing several schools for girls.
The surname Jimmerson has also been found in historical records from other parts of the British Isles, such as Scotland and Ireland, suggesting that it may have been carried to these regions by English settlers or migrants.
Overall, the Jimmerson surname has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval England, where it emerged as a patronymic name derived from an Old English personal name. While its spelling and usage have evolved over time, the surname has been associated with notable individuals across various fields throughout its long history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jimmerson
Among Census respondents with the surname Jimmerson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 46.0%. The next largest groups are White (44.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Jimmerson 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 Jimmerson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American46.0% · 866
- White44.3% · 835
- Two or more races4.4% · 82
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 81
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jimmerson
Jimmerson 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
#14,604
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,038
+185 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Up 102 places
2020
#15,050
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,883
-155 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 446 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,706 | 1,853 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,604 | 2,038 | 0.69 | +185 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 102 places |
| 2020 | #15,050 | 1,883 | 0.63 | -155 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 446 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 Jimmerson 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 | #14,604 | #15,050 | -3.1% |
| Count | 2,038 | 1,883 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.63 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jimmerson bearers went from 2,038 to 1,883 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 446 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,604 to #15,050.
FAQ
Jimmerson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jimmerson?
Name Census estimates that about 2,159 living Americans carry the surname Jimmerson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 158,756 residents.
How common is Jimmerson?
Jimmerson ranks #15,050 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 1,883 people with the surname Jimmerson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,159), 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 Jimmerson.
Has Jimmerson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jimmerson went from 2,038 recorded bearers to 1,883. That is a decrease of 155 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,604 to #15,050.
What does the Census say about the background of Jimmerson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jimmerson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 46.0%. The next largest groups are White (44.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Jimmerson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 46.0% (866 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jimmerson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (46.0%), White (44.3%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Jimmerson (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 Jimmerson mean?
Derived from the given name James, meaning "supplanter" or "one who follows," combined with the suffix -son. 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 Jimmerson (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 have the surname Jimmerson?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.