2000
#1,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,449
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.58
Uncommon Last name
Jarrett
Derived from the Old French word "jarret," meaning a grass enclosure or garden.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 24,195 Americans carry the last name Jarrett. That puts it at #1,663 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 14,166 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jarrett 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 Jarrett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
24K
1 in 14,166
Census rank
#1,663
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
21K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,099 bearers of the surname Jarrett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1663rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jarrett, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.6%. The next largest groups are Black (26.4%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jarrett
The surname Jarrett has its origins in France, with the earliest recordings dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the French personal name "Gérard," which itself comes from the Germanic elements "gair" meaning "spear" and "hart" meaning "brave" or "hardy." The name likely referred to a brave or hardy spearman or warrior.
The earliest known bearer of the name was Gérard de Jarret, who was mentioned in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres in 1162. This document was a collection of charters and records from the Abbey of Saint-Père in Chartres, France. The name Jarret in this context is thought to have been a locational surname, referring to someone who lived in a specific place called Jarret or Jarré.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Jarret, Jarrett, Jarette, and Jarrette, in records from the regions of Normandy, Picardy, and Île-de-France in northern France. These regions were home to many early bearers of the surname.
One notable historical figure with the surname Jarrett was Sir Thomas Jarrett (c. 1450-1513), an English courtier and soldier who served under King Henry VIII. He was appointed Captain of the Guard and held various military positions during the Tudor period.
Another early bearer of the name was Jean Jarret (c. 1480-1552), a French Catholic theologian and professor at the University of Paris. He was known for his writings on theology and his involvement in the religious debates of the time.
In the 17th century, the name Jarrett appeared in the British colonies of North America. One notable figure was Thomas Jarrett (c. 1620-1671), who was among the early settlers of the Virginia Colony and served as a member of the House of Burgesses.
The surname Jarrett also has a long history in England, with records showing families bearing the name in various counties, including Warwickshire, Staffordshire, and Gloucestershire. One notable English bearer of the name was John Jarrett (1721-1784), a clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
As the name spread across the English-speaking world, it has been associated with various notable individuals, including American artist Darel Jarrett (1936-2018), Canadian politician Claude Jarrett (1938-2020), and British musician Joss Jarrett (1959-present).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jarrett
Among Census respondents with the surname Jarrett, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.6%. The next largest groups are Black (26.4%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Jarrett 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 Jarrett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.6% · 13,640
- Black or African American26.4% · 5,579
- Two or more races4.7% · 983
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 670
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 125
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 102
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jarrett
Jarrett 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
#1,648
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,821
+1,372 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 7.40
Rank movement Down 38 places
2020
#1,663
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,099
-722 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 7.06
Rank movement Down 15 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,610 | 20,449 | 7.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,648 | 21,821 | 7.40 | +1,372 bearers (+6.7%) | Down 38 places |
| 2020 | #1,663 | 21,099 | 7.06 | -722 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 15 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 Jarrett 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 | #1,648 | #1,663 | -0.9% |
| Count | 21,821 | 21,099 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 7.40 | 7.06 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jarrett bearers went from 21,821 to 21,099 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 15 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,648 to #1,663.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Jarrett
FAQ
Jarrett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jarrett?
Name Census estimates that about 24,195 living Americans carry the surname Jarrett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 14,166 residents.
How common is Jarrett?
Jarrett ranks #1,663 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 21,099 people with the surname Jarrett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (24,195), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Jarrett.
Has Jarrett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jarrett went from 21,821 recorded bearers to 21,099. That is a decrease of 722 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,648 to #1,663.
What does the Census say about the background of Jarrett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jarrett, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.6%. The next largest groups are Black (26.4%) 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 Jarrett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.6% (13,640 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jarrett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.6%), Black (26.4%), 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 Jarrett (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 Jarrett mean?
Derived from the Old French word "jarret," meaning a grass enclosure or garden. 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 Jarrett (7.06 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 Jarrett?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.