2000
#1,161
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,643
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.25
Uncommon Last name
John
An English surname derived from the given name John, originally meaning "Yahweh has been gracious."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 42,845 Americans carry the last name John. That puts it at #919 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 12.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,000 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the John 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 John with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
43K
1 in 8,000
Census rank
#919
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
12.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
37K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 37,363 bearers of the surname John in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 12.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 919th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname John, the largest self-reported group is White at 34.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (27.0%) and Black (21.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of John
The surname John is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is derived from the personal name John, which itself is derived from the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "Yahweh is gracious." The surname likely originated as a patronymic, indicating "son of John."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname John is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. Several individuals with the surname John are listed in this historical record.
In the 12th century, the surname John appeared in various forms, such as Jon, Jone, and Johnes, reflecting the evolving spelling conventions of the time. These variations persisted until the 16th century when the modern spelling of John became more standardized.
Notable individuals with the surname John throughout history include Roger John (c. 1170-1239), a medieval English theologian and philosopher who served as Bishop of Norwich. Another prominent figure was Sir William John (c. 1330-1407), an English military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was knighted for his service.
During the Tudor period, the surname John was associated with several notable figures, including John Leland (c. 1506-1552), an English antiquarian and scholar who played a significant role in preserving historical manuscripts and records. Sir John Hawkins (1532-1595) was an English naval commander and slave trader who played a pivotal role in the early English exploration of the West Indies and the Spanish Main.
In the 17th century, Samuel John (1630-1698) was an English Baptist minister and theologian who made significant contributions to the development of Baptist theology. During the same period, Sir John Vanbrugh (1664-1726) gained recognition as an English architect, dramatist, and principal deputy governor of the Royal African Company, which held a monopoly on the English slave trade.
The 18th century saw the rise of John Wesley (1703-1791), the renowned Anglican cleric and theologian who played a pivotal role in the Methodist movement. John Wilkes (1725-1797) was a British radical, journalist, and politician who championed the rights of free speech and was a key figure in the Wilkes riots of the 1760s.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for John
Among Census respondents with the surname John, the largest self-reported group is White at 34.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (27.0%) and Black (21.1%).
The bar chart below shows how John 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 John surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White34.4% · 12,836
- Asian and Pacific Islander27.0% · 10,095
- Black or African American21.1% · 7,899
- American Indian and Alaska Native9.6% · 3,584
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 1,531
- Two or more races3.8% · 1,418
Timeline
Historical Census data for John
John 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
#1,034
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 33,543
+5,900 bearers (+21.3%)
Per 100,000 11.37
Rank movement Up 127 places
2020
#919
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 37,363
+3,820 bearers (+11.4%)
Per 100,000 12.50
Rank movement Up 115 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,161 | 27,643 | 10.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,034 | 33,543 | 11.37 | +5,900 bearers (+21.3%) | Up 127 places |
| 2020 | #919 | 37,363 | 12.50 | +3,820 bearers (+11.4%) | Up 115 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 John 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 | #1,034 | #919 | 11.1% |
| Count | 33,543 | 37,363 | 11.4% |
| Per 100K | 11.37 | 12.50 | 9.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of John bearers went from 33,543 to 37,363 (+11.4% change). The surname moved up 115 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,034 to #919.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname John
FAQ
John surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname John?
Name Census estimates that about 42,845 living Americans carry the surname John. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,000 residents.
How common is John?
John ranks #919 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 12.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 13 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 37,363 people with the surname John. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (42,845), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 12.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 12.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 13 of them to have the surname John.
Has John become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname John went from 33,543 recorded bearers to 37,363. That is an increase of 3,820 (+11.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,034 to #919.
What does the Census say about the background of John?
Among Census respondents with the surname John, the largest self-reported group is White at 34.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (27.0%) and Black (21.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname John in the 2020 Census, accounting for 34.4% (12,836 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
John appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (34.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (27.0%), Black (21.1%). 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 John (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 John mean?
An English surname derived from the given name John, originally meaning "Yahweh has been gracious." 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 John (12.50 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 John?
See how many Americans have the surname John on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.