2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Jonassaint
A surname combining the French "Jonas" meaning dove and "saint" meaning holy person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 245 Americans carry the last name Jonassaint. That puts it at #92,231 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,398,997 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jonassaint 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
245
1 in 1,398,997
Census rank
#92,231
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
214
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 214 bearers of the surname Jonassaint in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 92231st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jonassaint, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jonassaint
The surname JONASSAINT has its origins in the French language and is believed to have originated in the region of Normandy, France, during the medieval period. It is derived from a combination of the French words "Jonas" and "saint," which translate to "John" and "saint," respectively.
The name is thought to have been initially used as a descriptive surname, referring to individuals who were particularly devout or associated with religious institutions dedicated to Saint John. Some historical records suggest that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been members of monastic orders or individuals employed by churches or monasteries dedicated to Saint John.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the JONASSAINT surname can be found in the "Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Fontenay," a medieval manuscript dating back to the 12th century. This document mentions a certain "Radulphus Jonassaint," who was a landowner in the region of Normandy during that period.
In the 13th century, the JONASSAINT surname appeared in the "Livre des Bourgeois de Rouen," a register of the citizens of Rouen, a city in northern France. This record includes the name of a merchant named "Guillaume Jonassaint," who was active in the city's trade guilds during that time.
During the 14th century, the JONASSAINT surname was mentioned in the "Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Wandrille," a collection of charters and documents related to the Abbey of Saint-Wandrille in Normandy. This document references a monk named "Frère Pierre Jonassaint," who resided at the abbey during the latter part of that century.
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the JONASSAINT surname was "Jean Jonassaint" (1412-1478), a French cleric and scholar who served as the Bishop of Bayeux in Normandy. He was known for his contributions to religious literature and his efforts to promote education in the region.
Another prominent individual with the JONASSAINT surname was "Nicolas Jonassaint" (1548-1617), a French jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Parlement of Normandy. He was renowned for his expertise in civil and ecclesiastical law and wrote several influential treatises on legal matters.
These examples demonstrate the historical presence of the JONASSAINT surname across various regions of France, particularly in Normandy, and its association with religious institutions, education, and legal professions throughout the medieval and Renaissance periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jonassaint
Among Census respondents with the surname Jonassaint, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Jonassaint 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 Jonassaint surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American86.9% · 186
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 14
- Two or more races3.7% · 8
- White2.8% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jonassaint
Jonassaint 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
#90,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 204
+78 bearers (+61.9%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 35,144 places
2020
#92,231
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 214
+10 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 1,736 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #90,495 | 204 | 0.07 | +78 bearers (+61.9%) | Up 35,144 places |
| 2020 | #92,231 | 214 | 0.07 | +10 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 1,736 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 Jonassaint 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 | #90,495 | #92,231 | -1.9% |
| Count | 204 | 214 | 4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | 2.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jonassaint bearers went from 204 to 214 (+4.9% change). The surname moved down 1,736 positions in the national ranking, going from #90,495 to #92,231.
FAQ
Jonassaint surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jonassaint?
Name Census estimates that about 245 living Americans carry the surname Jonassaint. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,398,997 residents.
How common is Jonassaint?
Jonassaint ranks #92,231 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 214 people with the surname Jonassaint. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (245), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Jonassaint.
Has Jonassaint become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jonassaint went from 204 recorded bearers to 214. That is an increase of 10 (+4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #90,495 to #92,231.
What does the Census say about the background of Jonassaint?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jonassaint, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Jonassaint in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.9% (186 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jonassaint appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (86.9%), Hispanic (6.5%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Jonassaint (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 Jonassaint mean?
A surname combining the French "Jonas" meaning dove and "saint" meaning holy person. 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 Jonassaint (0.07 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 share the surname Jonassaint?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.