2000
#10,860
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,694
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.00
Rare Last name
Jinks
A nickname-derived surname referring to a lively, mischievous person or a person with a distinctive gait.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,932 Americans carry the last name Jinks. That puts it at #11,725 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 116,901 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jinks 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 Jinks with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 116,901
Census rank
#11,725
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,557 bearers of the surname Jinks in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11725th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jinks, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jinks
The surname Jinks has its roots in England, tracing back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "jenkin," which was a diminutive form of the name John. Over time, this nickname evolved into the surname Jinks.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Jinks surname can be found in the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1674, which listed a Thomas Jinks residing in Oxfordshire, England. Additionally, in the Parish Registers of Stratfield Saye, Hampshire, a record from 1613 mentions a William Jinks.
The Jinks surname has also been linked to various place names across England. For instance, the village of Jink's Green in Buckinghamshire may have derived its name from a family or individual bearing the Jinks surname.
Notable individuals with the surname Jinks include Edward Jinks (1570-1638), an English minister and author who published several works on theology and religious matters. Another noteworthy figure was Francis Jinks (1688-1773), a renowned architect from Worcestershire, who designed several prominent buildings in the region.
In the literary world, Henrietta Jinks (1795-1857) was a prolific writer and poet from Kent, known for her collection of poems titled "Wildflowers of Thought." Additionally, William Jinks (1826-1901) was a respected painter and illustrator from Cornwall, recognized for his depictions of rural life and landscapes.
The Jinks surname has also been associated with historical figures from different eras. One such individual was John Jinks (1543-1617), a merchant and landowner from Somerset, who played a significant role in the local economy during the Elizabethan era.
While the origins of the Jinks surname can be traced back to England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and other English-speaking countries. However, this report focuses solely on the historical roots and notable individuals associated with this surname in its country of origin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jinks
Among Census respondents with the surname Jinks, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Jinks 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 Jinks surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.2% · 1,846
- Black or African American21.0% · 538
- Two or more races3.3% · 84
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jinks
Jinks 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
#11,753
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,665
-29 bearers (-1.1%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 893 places
2020
#11,725
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,557
-108 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Up 28 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,860 | 2,694 | 1.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,753 | 2,665 | 0.90 | -29 bearers (-1.1%) | Down 893 places |
| 2020 | #11,725 | 2,557 | 0.86 | -108 bearers (-4.1%) | Up 28 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 Jinks 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 | #11,753 | #11,725 | 0.2% |
| Count | 2,665 | 2,557 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.90 | 0.86 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jinks bearers went from 2,665 to 2,557 (-4.1% change). The surname moved up 28 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,753 to #11,725.
FAQ
Jinks surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jinks?
Name Census estimates that about 2,932 living Americans carry the surname Jinks. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 116,901 residents.
How common is Jinks?
Jinks ranks #11,725 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.86 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 2,557 people with the surname Jinks. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,932), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.86 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 Jinks.
Has Jinks become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jinks went from 2,665 recorded bearers to 2,557. That is a decrease of 108 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,753 to #11,725.
What does the Census say about the background of Jinks?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jinks, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Jinks in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.2% (1,846 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jinks appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.2%), Black (21.0%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Jinks (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 Jinks mean?
A nickname-derived surname referring to a lively, mischievous person or a person with a distinctive gait. 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 Jinks (0.86 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 Jinks?
Find out how many people have the last name Jinks on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.