Find out how popular the last name Jurney is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Jurney.

Jurney, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Jurney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jurney in America

Jurney is the 48995th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jurney surname appeared 430 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Jurney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jurney to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Jurney

The surname Jurney originated in England, with its earliest recorded appearance dating back to the late 12th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old French word "jornee," meaning a day's journey or travel. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who frequently undertook long journeys, perhaps a messenger or trader.

One of the earliest known references to the name Jurney can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1195, which lists a person named Radulfus Jornay. These rolls were a record of financial transactions and taxes paid to the English Crown during the Middle Ages.

In the 13th century, the name appears to have evolved into various spellings such as Journee, Jornay, and Jurnay. These variations likely reflect regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling conventions at the time.

The Jurney surname has been traced to several locations in England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. It is possible that the name originated from a place name, though no definitive evidence has been found to support this theory.

Notable individuals bearing the Jurney surname throughout history include:

1. Sir John Jurney (c. 1460-1535), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire during the reign of Henry VIII.

2. Thomas Jurney (1589-1673), a English clergyman and theologian who was appointed as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Stamford, Lincolnshire, in 1629.

3. William Jurney (1675-1746), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Yorkshire, who was known for his philanthropic contributions to local charities and educational institutions.

4. Elizabeth Jurney (1710-1782), a renowned portrait painter and miniaturist whose works were highly sought after by the English nobility of the 18th century.

5. Robert Jurney (1825-1892), a British explorer and naturalist who traveled extensively in Africa and Asia, documenting various plant and animal species.

It is worth noting that while the Jurney surname has historical roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, due to immigration and migration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jurney

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Jurney.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Jurney was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Jurney has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Jurney was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Jurney, please contact us.

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