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

Johnican, 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 Johnican surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Johnican in America

Johnican is the 99845th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Johnican surname appeared 181 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 Johnican.

We can also compare 2010 data for Johnican 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 Johnican

The surname Johnican originated in the Shetland Islands of Scotland, dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse words "jón" meaning "gift from God" and "kann" meaning "able or skilled." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was considered a gifted or skilled person.

The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in a 1492 census record from the village of Scalloway, where a family with the surname "Johnican" is listed as residing. It is possible that the name has its roots in this area, as the Shetland Islands were heavily influenced by Norse settlers during the Viking Age.

In the 16th century, the name can be found in various parish records and legal documents from the Shetland Islands. One notable mention is in a 1578 court record from Lerwick, where a man named Magnus Johnican is listed as a witness in a land dispute.

By the 17th century, the name had spread beyond the Shetland Islands, with records indicating individuals bearing the surname living in other parts of Scotland, such as Edinburgh and Aberdeen. One significant figure from this era was Robert Johnican (1625-1694), a prominent merchant and landowner in Aberdeen.

In the 18th century, the name continued to appear in Scottish records, with a few individuals making notable contributions. For instance, James Johnican (1742-1818) was a respected minister in the Church of Scotland, known for his influential sermons and writings on theology.

As the British Empire expanded, some individuals with the surname Johnican emigrated to other parts of the world, such as North America and Australia. One notable figure from this period was William Johnican (1798-1872), who settled in Nova Scotia, Canada, and became a successful shipbuilder and businessman.

Throughout history, the surname Johnican has been recorded with various spellings, including "Johnican," "Johnnican," "Johnecan," and "Johnigan." These variations likely arose due to regional dialects, phonetic interpretations, and the preferences of individual families.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Johnican

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

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

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

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