2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Jollimore
A surname derived from a place name, likely meaning "dweller at the cheerful, merry moor."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Jollimore. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jollimore 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Jollimore in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jollimore, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jollimore
The surname Jollimore is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval era. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from a place near Plymouth in Devon, England, known as "Jollymer." The name itself is a compound of the Old English words "geolie" meaning "jovial" or "merry," and "mere" referring to a lake or pool.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Devon from 1327, which lists a William de Jolymor. This suggests that the name had already been established in the region by the 14th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, variations in spelling were common, with the surname appearing as Jolimer, Jollymer, and Jollymore in various parish records and tax rolls across Devon and Cornwall.
In the late 17th century, the Jollimore family had established a presence in the fishing village of Clovelly, Devon. Notably, a John Jollimore (1655-1728) is recorded as a prominent figure in the village's maritime trade during this period.
As the British Empire expanded, some members of the Jollimore family emigrated to the Americas, particularly to the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of William Jollimore (1760-1842), who settled in the Annapolis Valley region and is considered a progenitor of many Jollimore families in the region.
Another notable figure was Reverend John Jollimore (1788-1864), an Anglican clergyman and missionary who served in various parishes across Nova Scotia and played a significant role in the establishment of the Church of England in the province.
In the 19th century, the Jollimore name gained prominence in the literary world with the birth of William Jollimore (1846-1920), a Canadian poet and teacher who published several volumes of poetry and was widely acclaimed for his works celebrating the natural beauty of Nova Scotia.
Other notable individuals bearing the Jollimore surname include Thomas Jollimore (1886-1964), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, and Elwood Jollimore (1920-2002), a World War II veteran and recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service as a pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jollimore
Among Census respondents with the surname Jollimore, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Jollimore 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 Jollimore surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.1% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 5
- Two or more races3.0% · 3
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jollimore
Jollimore 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-10 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 21,218 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 5,705 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 21,218 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 5,705 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 Jollimore 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 | #160,975 | #155,270 | 3.5% |
| Count | 100 | 101 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jollimore bearers went from 100 to 101 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 5,705 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #155,270.
FAQ
Jollimore surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jollimore?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Jollimore. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Jollimore?
Jollimore ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Jollimore. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Jollimore.
Has Jollimore become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jollimore went from 100 recorded bearers to 101. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Jollimore?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jollimore, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Jollimore in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.1% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jollimore appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.1%), Hispanic (5.0%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Jollimore (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 Jollimore mean?
A surname derived from a place name, likely meaning "dweller at the cheerful, merry moor." 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 Jollimore (0.03 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 Jollimore?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Jollimore on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.