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

Johns, 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 Johns surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Johns in America

Johns is the 739th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Johns surname appeared 47,246 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 16 people would have the surname Johns.

We can also compare 2010 data for Johns 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 Johns

The surname JOHNS has its origins in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is a patronymic surname, derived from the personal name John, which itself comes from the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "Yahweh is gracious."

The earliest recorded instances of the surname JOHNS can be found in various medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Johnes." It is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327 as "Johannes."

In the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname was often rendered as "John" or "Jon," with the possessive "s" added later to indicate the person was the son of someone named John. This practice was common in English naming traditions during that time.

The surname JOHNS is closely associated with several place names in England, such as Johns Hill in Worcestershire and Johns Green in Essex. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the surname JOHNS who lived or owned land in those areas.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname JOHNS was Sir Thomas JOHNS (c. 1500-1559), a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas during the reign of Queen Mary I.

Another individual of note was Giles JOHNS (c. 1550-1608), an English composer and musician who served as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal under Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the surname JOHNS appeared in various records, including the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1664, where it was spelled as "Johnes" and "Johnns."

During the 18th century, the name JOHNS gained further prominence with individuals such as William JOHNS (1700-1760), a renowned English painter and engraver known for his landscape paintings and etchings.

In the 19th century, one of the most famous bearers of the surname JOHNS was Gwyn JOHNS (1822-1899), a Welsh architect and engineer who designed several notable landmarks, including the Menai Suspension Bridge in Wales.

Throughout its long history, the surname JOHNS has been associated with various professions and areas of expertise, from law and the arts to architecture and engineering, reflecting the diverse contributions of those who have borne this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Johns

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

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

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

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