2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Jochens
A surname of German origin meaning "son of Joachim".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Jochens. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jochens 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Jochens in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jochens, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jochens
The surname Jochens has its origins in Germany, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the personal name "Joachim," which has Hebrew roots and means "established by God." The name Joachim was quite popular in medieval Germany, leading to various patronymic surname variations.
Jochens is a low German form of the name, commonly found in northern Germany and the surrounding regions. Early records show variations such as Jochems, Jochims, and Jochimsohn, indicating the name's evolution over time. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Jochem von Hanau, a landowner mentioned in a 1298 document from the region of Hesse.
In the 15th century, the name Jochens appeared in several historical documents from the city of Hamburg. For instance, a merchant named Hans Jochens was listed in the city's trade records from the year 1472. During this period, the name was also found in various other northern German regions, including Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg.
As the name spread across Germany, it became associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Johann Jochens, a Lutheran theologian born in 1590 in the town of Flensburg. He studied at the University of Rostock and later served as a pastor in several churches across northern Germany.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Friedrich Jochens, a 17th-century painter from the city of Lübeck. His works, primarily depicting religious scenes and landscapes, can be found in several churches and museums throughout northern Germany.
In the 18th century, the Jochens name gained recognition in the field of music. Johann Jochens, born in 1732 in Hamburg, was a celebrated organist and composer known for his contributions to the city's musical culture.
The 19th century saw the name Jochens associated with various professions, including academia and politics. Carl Jochens, born in 1826 in the town of Kiel, was a respected historian and professor at the University of Marburg. He published several influential works on German history and culture.
Additionally, Hermann Jochens, born in 1848 in Hamburg, was a prominent politician and served as a member of the Reichstag, the parliament of the German Empire, representing the Social Democratic Party.
While the name Jochens has its roots in northern Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the country and beyond, with bearers contributing to various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jochens
Among Census respondents with the surname Jochens, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Jochens 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 Jochens surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.9% · 89
- Two or more races10.0% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.3% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jochens
Jochens 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-20 bearers (-15.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 27,756 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,182 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-15.7%) | Down 27,756 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 3,182 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 Jochens 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 | #152,628 | #149,446 | 2.1% |
| Count | 107 | 110 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jochens bearers went from 107 to 110 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 3,182 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #149,446.
FAQ
Jochens surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jochens?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Jochens. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Jochens?
Jochens ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Jochens. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Jochens.
Has Jochens become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jochens went from 107 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 3 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Jochens?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jochens, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.3%). 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 Jochens in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.9% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jochens appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.9%), Two or More Races (10.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (7.3%). 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 Jochens (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 Jochens mean?
A surname of German origin meaning "son of Joachim". 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 Jochens (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Jochens?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.