2000
#13,584
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,050
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.76
Rare Last name
Jules
A French variant of the Latin name Julius, which was a Roman family name thought to mean "youthful" or "downy-bearded."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,881 Americans carry the last name Jules. That puts it at #9,241 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,316 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jules 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 Jules with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 88,316
Census rank
#9,241
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,384 bearers of the surname Jules in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9241st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jules, the largest self-reported group is Black at 85.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.1%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jules
The surname Jules is of French origin, derived from the Roman name Julius. It first appeared in France during the Middle Ages, around the 12th century.
The name Julius was a prominent Roman family name, derived from the Latin word "ioulos," meaning "downy-bearded." It was initially a nickname given to someone with a beard or a hairy person. Over time, it evolved into a surname in various regions of France.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Jules can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Julez" or "Juliz." This medieval manuscript was a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.
In the 13th century, the surname Jules was prevalent in the northern regions of France, particularly in the areas around Paris and Normandy. It was often associated with landowners and minor nobility during this period.
Notable historical figures with the surname Jules include:
1. Jules Verne (1828-1905), the renowned French novelist and pioneer of science fiction. He is best known for his works such as "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" and "Around the World in Eighty Days."
2. Jules Bastien-Lepage (1848-1884), a French painter renowned for his naturalistic style and depictions of rural life.
3. Jules Massenet (1842-1912), a celebrated French composer known for his operas, including "Manon" and "Werther."
4. Jules Rimet (1873-1956), a French football administrator who served as the third president of FIFA and initiated the first World Cup tournament in 1930.
5. Jules Renard (1864-1910), a French author and playwright known for his witty and satirical works, such as the play "Poil de Carotte" (Carrot Top).
Over the centuries, the surname Jules has been associated with various place names and locations in France. For instance, the village of Jules in the department of Oise took its name from the surname, as did the commune of Jules-et-Marseillette in the department of Aude.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jules
Among Census respondents with the surname Jules, the largest self-reported group is Black at 85.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.1%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Jules 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 Jules surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American85.5% · 2,895
- White5.1% · 171
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 157
- Two or more races3.6% · 122
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 24
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jules
Jules 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
#10,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,911
+861 bearers (+42.0%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Up 2,649 places
2020
#9,241
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,384
+473 bearers (+16.2%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Up 1,694 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,584 | 2,050 | 0.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,935 | 2,911 | 0.99 | +861 bearers (+42.0%) | Up 2,649 places |
| 2020 | #9,241 | 3,384 | 1.13 | +473 bearers (+16.2%) | Up 1,694 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 Jules 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 | #10,935 | #9,241 | 15.5% |
| Count | 2,911 | 3,384 | 16.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.99 | 1.13 | 14.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jules bearers went from 2,911 to 3,384 (+16.2% change). The surname moved up 1,694 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,935 to #9,241.
FAQ
Jules surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jules?
Name Census estimates that about 3,881 living Americans carry the surname Jules. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,316 residents.
How common is Jules?
Jules ranks #9,241 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.13 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 3,384 people with the surname Jules. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,881), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.13 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 Jules.
Has Jules become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jules went from 2,911 recorded bearers to 3,384. That is an increase of 473 (+16.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,935 to #9,241.
What does the Census say about the background of Jules?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jules, the largest self-reported group is Black at 85.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.1%) and Hispanic (4.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Jules in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.5% (2,895 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jules appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (85.5%), White (5.1%), Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Jules (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 Jules mean?
A French variant of the Latin name Julius, which was a Roman family name thought to mean "youthful" or "downy-bearded." 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 Jules (1.13 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 Jules?
If you just want to know how many people are called Jules, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.