2000
#111,740
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 146
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Jolson
An Anglicized derivation of the Polish surname Dolzanski or Dolzynski, meaning "from the valley."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Jolson. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jolson 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Jolson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jolson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jolson
The surname Jolson is of English origin, and it is believed to have emerged in the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English personal name "Joll," which itself is a diminutive form of the name "Joel." The suffix "-son" was commonly added to personal names to denote "son of," indicating a patronymic surname.
The earliest known record of the Jolson surname dates back to 1589, when a Thomas Jolson was mentioned in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire. This entry suggests that the name was firmly established in the Yorkshire region of northern England by the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the Jolson surname appears in various records, including the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1673, which lists a John Jolson residing in the village of Ecclesfield, near Sheffield. This indicates that the name had spread beyond its Yorkshire roots and had established a presence in other parts of northern England.
One notable early bearer of the Jolson surname was William Jolson, born in 1687 in Eccles, Lancashire. He was a prominent merchant and landowner, and his descendants continued to play a significant role in the local community for generations.
In the 18th century, the Jolson name gained wider recognition with the birth of Al Jolson (1886-1950), an American singer, comedian, and actor of Russian-Jewish heritage, known as "The World's Greatest Entertainer." Though not directly related to the English Jolson lineage, his stage name helped popularize the surname on a global scale.
Another notable figure with the Jolson surname was Sir John Jolson (1819-1897), a British industrialist and philanthropist from Yorkshire. He made his fortune in the textile industry and was widely respected for his charitable contributions to educational and cultural institutions in his native region.
In the 19th century, the Jolson name continued to be found in various parts of England, with concentrations in Yorkshire, Lancashire, and the neighboring counties. One prominent example was Samuel Jolson (1835-1912), a successful businessman and civic leader in Bradford, who served as a magistrate and was actively involved in local politics.
Throughout its history, the Jolson surname has maintained a strong presence in the northern regions of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lancashire, where it originated and gained prominence. While the name has spread globally due to migration and the fame of individuals like Al Jolson, its roots can be traced back to the English countryside of the 16th and 17th centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jolson
Among Census respondents with the surname Jolson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Jolson 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 Jolson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 104
- Two or more races4.4% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jolson
Jolson 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-36 bearers (-24.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 37,655 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+4 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,900 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #111,740 | 146 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -36 bearers (-24.7%) | Down 37,655 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.6%) | Up 2,900 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 Jolson 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 | #149,395 | #146,495 | 1.9% |
| Count | 110 | 114 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jolson bearers went from 110 to 114 (+3.6% change). The surname moved up 2,900 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #146,495.
FAQ
Jolson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jolson?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Jolson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Jolson?
Jolson ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 114 people with the surname Jolson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Jolson.
Has Jolson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jolson went from 110 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 4 (+3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Jolson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jolson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Jolson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jolson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Jolson (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 Jolson mean?
An Anglicized derivation of the Polish surname Dolzanski or Dolzynski, meaning "from the valley." 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 Jolson (0.04 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 are called Jolson?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Jolson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.