2000
#6,118
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,165
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.91
Rare Last name
Jordon
Derived from the name of the River Jordan, which flows between Jordan and Israel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,617 Americans carry the last name Jordon. That puts it at #9,801 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 94,762 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jordon 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Jordon with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 94,762
Census rank
#9,801
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,154 bearers of the surname Jordon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9801st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jordon, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.7%. The next largest groups are Black (34.0%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jordon
The surname Jordon originated in England during the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the River Jordan, a famous river in the Middle East that flows between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. This surname likely belongs to the large category of surnames that were acquired by the bearers after they had been on a pilgrimage or crusade to the Holy Land.
The earliest recorded spelling of the surname in England dates back to the latter part of the 12th century. In the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1273, one Gilbert de Jordon is listed. Later, in the Assize Court Rolls of Essex in 1285, a John de Jordon is recorded. These early spellings suggest that the name was originally rendered as "de Jordon" before eventually evolving into the modern form of Jordon or Jordan.
Notable bearers of the Jordon surname throughout history include Sir Joseph Jordon, a prominent English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1665-1666. Another noteworthy individual was Dorothy Jordon (1762-1816), an Irish actress and courtesan who was the longtime mistress of William IV, then Duke of Clarence.
In the realm of literature, Robert Jordon (1948-2007) was an American novelist best known for his epic fantasy series "The Wheel of Time". The series achieved immense popularity and has been translated into over 20 languages. Another literary figure was Thomas Jordon (1612-1685), an English poet and playwright who was a prominent figure in the English Renaissance.
The surname Jordon has also been associated with several places and landmarks. For instance, the village of Jordon in Buckinghamshire, England, is believed to have derived its name from the surname. Similarly, the Jordon River in Nova Scotia, Canada, was likely named after an early settler bearing the Jordon surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jordon
Among Census respondents with the surname Jordon, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.7%. The next largest groups are Black (34.0%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Jordon 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 Jordon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.7% · 1,788
- Black or African American34.0% · 1,073
- Two or more races4.7% · 147
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 107
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jordon
Jordon 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
#8,184
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,052
-1,113 bearers (-21.5%)
Per 100,000 1.37
Rank movement Down 2,066 places
2020
#9,801
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,154
-898 bearers (-22.2%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 1,617 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,118 | 5,165 | 1.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,184 | 4,052 | 1.37 | -1,113 bearers (-21.5%) | Down 2,066 places |
| 2020 | #9,801 | 3,154 | 1.06 | -898 bearers (-22.2%) | Down 1,617 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 Jordon 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 | #8,184 | #9,801 | -19.8% |
| Count | 4,052 | 3,154 | -22.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.37 | 1.06 | -23.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jordon bearers went from 4,052 to 3,154 (-22.2% change). The surname moved down 1,617 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,184 to #9,801.
FAQ
Jordon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jordon?
Name Census estimates that about 3,617 living Americans carry the surname Jordon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 94,762 residents.
How common is Jordon?
Jordon ranks #9,801 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,154 people with the surname Jordon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,617), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Jordon.
Has Jordon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jordon went from 4,052 recorded bearers to 3,154. That is a decrease of 898 (-22.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,184 to #9,801.
What does the Census say about the background of Jordon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jordon, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.7%. The next largest groups are Black (34.0%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Jordon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.7% (1,788 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jordon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (56.7%), Black (34.0%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Jordon (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 Jordon mean?
Derived from the name of the River Jordan, which flows between Jordan and Israel. 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 Jordon (1.06 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 Jordon?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.