2000
#47,026
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 425
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Jokerst
A surname possibly derived from the German word "Joker," meaning "tenant farmer."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 513 Americans carry the last name Jokerst. That puts it at #50,535 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 668,137 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jokerst 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
513
1 in 668,137
Census rank
#50,535
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
447
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 447 bearers of the surname Jokerst in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 50535th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jokerst, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jokerst
The surname "JOKERST" is of German origin, originating in the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Jockerl," which was a diminutive form of the name "Jocker," meaning "jester" or "court fool." This suggests that the name may have been given to a person who entertained or amused others in a court or noble household.
The name "JOKERST" first appeared in historical records in the region of Bavaria, which was a state in the Holy Roman Empire during the 16th century. It is possible that the name was initially a nickname given to an individual who exhibited a jovial or humorous personality.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the "Kirchenbücher" (church records) of the town of Nuremberg, where a certain "Hans Jokerst" was mentioned in 1587. This suggests that the name had already been established in the region by the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the name "JOKERST" began to spread to other parts of Germany, particularly in the southern regions. Records from this period include a "Johann Jokerst," born in 1621 in the town of Augsburg, and a "Michael Jokerst," who was a merchant in the city of Munich in the late 1600s.
As the name spread, it also evolved into different spellings and variations, such as "Jockerst," "Jockherst," and "Jockhurst." These variations were often influenced by local dialects and the scribes who recorded the names.
One notable bearer of the name was "Friedrich Jokerst," a German composer and organist who lived from 1768 to 1845. He served as the organist at the Frauenkirche in Munich and composed several works for the organ.
Another individual of historical significance was "Johann Jokerst," born in 1798 in the town of Bamberg. He was a prominent lawyer and politician who served in the Bavarian Parliament during the mid-19th century.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many individuals with the surname "JOKERST" immigrated to the United States, particularly from the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. This led to the establishment of the name in various parts of the country, where it continues to be found today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jokerst
Among Census respondents with the surname Jokerst, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Jokerst 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 Jokerst surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 424
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 16
- Two or more races0.9% · 4
- Black or African American0.4% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jokerst
Jokerst 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
#49,999
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 419
-6 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 2,973 places
2020
#50,535
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 447
+28 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 536 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #47,026 | 425 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #49,999 | 419 | 0.14 | -6 bearers (-1.4%) | Down 2,973 places |
| 2020 | #50,535 | 447 | 0.15 | +28 bearers (+6.7%) | Down 536 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 Jokerst 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 | #49,999 | #50,535 | -1.1% |
| Count | 419 | 447 | 6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.15 | 6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jokerst bearers went from 419 to 447 (+6.7% change). The surname moved down 536 positions in the national ranking, going from #49,999 to #50,535.
FAQ
Jokerst surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jokerst?
Name Census estimates that about 513 living Americans carry the surname Jokerst. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 668,137 residents.
How common is Jokerst?
Jokerst ranks #50,535 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 447 people with the surname Jokerst. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (513), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Jokerst.
Has Jokerst become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jokerst went from 419 recorded bearers to 447. That is an increase of 28 (+6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #49,999 to #50,535.
What does the Census say about the background of Jokerst?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jokerst, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Jokerst in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (424 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jokerst appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Jokerst (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 Jokerst mean?
A surname possibly derived from the German word "Joker," meaning "tenant farmer." 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 Jokerst (0.15 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 surname Jokerst?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.