2000
#9,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,191
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.18
Rare Last name
Jowers
Occupational surname for a maker or seller of jugs or other vessels.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,678 Americans carry the last name Jowers. That puts it at #9,666 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,190 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jowers 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 Jowers with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 93,190
Census rank
#9,666
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,207 bearers of the surname Jowers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9666th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jowers, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (14.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jowers
The surname Jowers has its origins in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "juwere," which referred to a jeweler or a maker of jewelry. The name is thought to have been an occupational surname, given to individuals who worked in the jewelry trade.
One of the earliest known references to the Jowers surname can be found in the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1662, which listed a John Jowers residing in the county of Kent. This suggests that the name was already well-established in that region by the mid-17th century.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Jowers family seemed to have a strong presence in various parts of southern England, particularly in the counties of Kent, Surrey, and Sussex. This is evidenced by numerous parish records and local documents from that period, which mention individuals with the Jowers surname.
One notable individual bearing this name was William Jowers, a successful merchant and alderman in the city of London during the late 17th century. He was born in 1642 and played an active role in civic affairs, serving as a member of the Common Council and holding various positions within the city's government.
Another prominent figure was John Jowers, a renowned clockmaker who lived in the early 18th century. Born in 1696 in the village of Chaldon, Surrey, he gained recognition for his intricate and beautifully crafted timepieces, which were sought after by the wealthy and elite of his time.
In the 19th century, the Jowers surname continued to be found across various parts of England, with some individuals venturing to other parts of the British Isles and even to the colonies in North America and Australia. One such individual was James Jowers, a British soldier who served in the Crimean War and later settled in Canada, where he started a family and became a successful farmer.
As the centuries passed, the Jowers name spread to other parts of the world, with descendants making their mark in various fields, from politics and academia to the arts and sciences. Notable individuals include Robert Jowers, a British writer and journalist who published several books in the mid-20th century, and Alice Jowers, an American painter and sculptor whose works were exhibited in galleries across the United States.
Overall, the surname Jowers has a rich history that spans several centuries and can be traced back to its origins as an occupational name in medieval England. While the name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over time, it remains a distinctive surname with a strong connection to its jeweler roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jowers
Among Census respondents with the surname Jowers, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (14.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Jowers 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 Jowers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.9% · 2,498
- Black or African American14.6% · 468
- Two or more races3.7% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 102
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jowers
Jowers 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
#9,761
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,320
+129 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 396 places
2020
#9,666
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,207
-113 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Up 95 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,365 | 3,191 | 1.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,761 | 3,320 | 1.13 | +129 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 396 places |
| 2020 | #9,666 | 3,207 | 1.07 | -113 bearers (-3.4%) | Up 95 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 Jowers 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 | #9,761 | #9,666 | 1.0% |
| Count | 3,320 | 3,207 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.13 | 1.07 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jowers bearers went from 3,320 to 3,207 (-3.4% change). The surname moved up 95 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,761 to #9,666.
FAQ
Jowers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jowers?
Name Census estimates that about 3,678 living Americans carry the surname Jowers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,190 residents.
How common is Jowers?
Jowers ranks #9,666 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 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 3,207 people with the surname Jowers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,678), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 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 Jowers.
Has Jowers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jowers went from 3,320 recorded bearers to 3,207. That is a decrease of 113 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,761 to #9,666.
What does the Census say about the background of Jowers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jowers, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (14.6%) 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Jowers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.9% (2,498 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jowers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.9%), Black (14.6%), 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 Jowers (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 Jowers mean?
Occupational surname for a maker or seller of jugs or other vessels. 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 Jowers (1.07 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 have the surname Jowers?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.