2000
#95
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 213,737
First available Census row
Per 100,000 79.23
Common Last name
Jenkins
An occupational surname referring to a person who made or supplied a type of armor called a jennet.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 244,991 Americans carry the last name Jenkins. That puts it at #106 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 71.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,399 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jenkins 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 Jenkins with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
245K
1 in 1,399
Census rank
#106
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
71.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
214K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 213,644 bearers of the surname Jenkins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 71.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 106th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jenkins, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.7%. The next largest groups are Black (35.6%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jenkins
The surname Jenkins has its origins in Wales, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Welsh personal name "Jenkin," a diminutive form of the name "John." The name Jenkin is believed to have been introduced to Britain by Flemish settlers during the Norman Conquest.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Jenkins can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Jenekyn." This suggests that the name was already in use in England by the late 11th century.
In the 13th century, the name Jenkins began to appear in various historical records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire and the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire. These early records often spelled the name in various ways, including "Jenkyns," "Jenkyn," and "Jenkynson."
The Jenkins surname is particularly prevalent in the counties of Monmouthshire, Glamorgan, and Pembrokeshire in Wales, indicating that the name likely originated in these areas before spreading to other parts of Britain.
One notable figure with the surname Jenkins was Leoline Jenkins (1625-1685), a Welsh lawyer and diplomat who served as Secretary of State for the Northern Department under King Charles II. Another prominent Jenkins was Henry Jenkins (1501-1670), a Yorkshire man who claimed to have lived to the remarkable age of 169, making him one of the oldest men in recorded history.
In the literary world, David Jenkins (1585-1663) was a Welsh clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "The Scourge of Villanie" and "The Cavalier's Memoirs." Sir Geraint Jenkins (1904-1991) was a Welsh baritone opera singer who performed with the Royal Opera House and the Welsh National Opera.
During the American Civil War, Albert G. Jenkins (1830-1864) was a Confederate cavalry officer who served under General Robert E. Lee and was known for his daring raids behind Union lines.
While the surname Jenkins is found worldwide today, its roots can be traced back to the ancient Welsh name Jenkin, highlighting its rich historical and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jenkins
Among Census respondents with the surname Jenkins, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.7%. The next largest groups are Black (35.6%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Jenkins 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 Jenkins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White55.7% · 118,967
- Black or African American35.6% · 76,023
- Two or more races4.7% · 9,958
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 6,386
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 1,189
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 1,121
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jenkins
Jenkins 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
#102
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 222,653
+8,916 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 75.48
Rank movement Down 7 places
2020
#106
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 213,644
-9,009 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 71.48
Rank movement Down 4 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #95 | 213,737 | 79.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #102 | 222,653 | 75.48 | +8,916 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 7 places |
| 2020 | #106 | 213,644 | 71.48 | -9,009 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 4 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 Jenkins 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 | #102 | #106 | -3.9% |
| Count | 222,653 | 213,644 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 75.48 | 71.48 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jenkins bearers went from 222,653 to 213,644 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 4 positions in the national ranking, going from #102 to #106.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Jenkins
FAQ
Jenkins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jenkins?
Name Census estimates that about 244,991 living Americans carry the surname Jenkins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,399 residents.
How common is Jenkins?
Jenkins ranks #106 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 71.48 per 100,000 residents, which is about 71 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 213,644 people with the surname Jenkins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (244,991), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 71.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 71.48 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 71 of them to have the surname Jenkins.
Has Jenkins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jenkins went from 222,653 recorded bearers to 213,644. That is a decrease of 9,009 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #102 to #106.
What does the Census say about the background of Jenkins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jenkins, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.7%. The next largest groups are Black (35.6%) 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 Jenkins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.7% (118,967 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jenkins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (55.7%), Black (35.6%), 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 Jenkins (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 Jenkins mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who made or supplied a type of armor called a jennet. 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 Jenkins (71.48 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 Americans have the surname Jenkins?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.