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

Jira, 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 Jira surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jira in America

Jira is the 84463rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jira surname appeared 222 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 Jira.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jira 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 Jira

The surname Jira is believed to have originated in the region of Silesia, which is located in modern-day Poland and the Czech Republic. The name likely dates back to the 13th or 14th century.

One theory suggests that Jira is derived from the Old Slavic word "jir," meaning a type of grain or cereal crop. This implies that the name may have been initially given to someone who worked in agriculture or dealt with grains.

Another possibility is that Jira is a variant of the German name Gehre or Gehr, which is derived from the Old German word "ger," meaning a spear or javelin. In this case, the name could have been given to someone skilled in using such weapons or associated with warfare.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the Jira surname can be found in historical documents from the region of Silesia. One notable example is a mention of a person named Nicolaus Jira in a document from the city of Wrocław (then known as Breslau) dated around 1380.

In the 16th century, a prominent figure with the surname Jira was Jan Jira, a Czech Protestant reformer and writer who lived from 1528 to 1594. He was known for his religious works and translations of the Bible into the Czech language.

During the 17th century, a notable bearer of the Jira name was Johann Jira, a Silesian painter and engraver who lived from 1620 to 1677. His works included religious paintings and engravings, some of which can still be found in churches and museums in the region.

In the 19th century, a famous person with the Jira surname was Josef Jira, a Czech linguist and scholar who lived from 1828 to 1892. He is known for his contributions to the study of Slavic languages and his work on Czech grammar and lexicography.

Another notable figure with the Jira surname was Václav Jira, a Czech writer and journalist who lived from 1879 to 1948. He was known for his novels and short stories, which often depicted life in rural Bohemia and the struggles of the Czech people.

While the surname Jira may have originated in the regions of Silesia and Bohemia, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and immigration. However, its historical roots can be traced back to these areas and the various individuals who have carried this name throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jira

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

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

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

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