NameCensus.

UK surname

Jack

An occupational surname referring to someone who made or sold jackets or other outer garments.

In the 1881 census there were 6,384 people recorded with the Jack surname, ranking it #670 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,986, ranked #828, down from #670 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Black Isle South, Black Isle North and Crieff South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jack is 7,986 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.1%.

1881 census count

6,384

Ranked #670

Modern count

7,986

2016, ranked #828

Peak year

2016

7,986 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jack had 6,384 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #670 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,986 in 2016, ranked #828.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,245 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Jack surname distribution map

The map shows where the Jack surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Jack surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jack over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 4,769 #584
1861 historical 5,363 #518
1881 historical 6,384 #670
1891 historical 6,824 #664
1901 historical 7,245 #758
1911 historical 1,676 #2,919
1997 modern 7,283 #885
1998 modern 7,536 #892
1999 modern 7,572 #895
2000 modern 7,615 #883
2001 modern 7,371 #893
2002 modern 7,529 #892
2003 modern 7,349 #890
2004 modern 7,415 #887
2005 modern 7,425 #872
2006 modern 7,421 #874
2007 modern 7,468 #878
2008 modern 7,521 #877
2009 modern 7,695 #879
2010 modern 7,850 #879
2011 modern 7,752 #875
2012 modern 7,703 #857
2013 modern 7,852 #855
2014 modern 7,950 #844
2015 modern 7,922 #836
2016 modern 7,986 #828

Geography

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Where Jacks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Black Isle South, Black Isle North, Crieff South, Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill and Tollcross. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 New Monkland Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Black Isle South Highland
2 Black Isle North Highland
3 Crieff South Perth and Kinross
4 Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill Glasgow City
5 Tollcross City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jack

These lists show first names that appear often with the Jack surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jack

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Jack, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Jack surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Jack household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Jack is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Jack is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Jack falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Jack is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Jack, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Jack

The surname Jack is an English surname derived from the medieval personal name John, which itself is derived from the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "Yahweh is gracious". The surname Jack originated as a diminutive or nickname form of the name John.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Jack dates back to the late 13th century in England. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, which mentions a person named Roberd Jake.

The surname Jack has been found in various historical records throughout the centuries, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a John Jake in Oxfordshire, and the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk from 1230, which mention a William Jak.

In the 14th century, the surname Jack was sometimes spelled as Jakke or Jacke. The name was also associated with various place names, such as Jackfield in Shropshire and Jackhouse in Northumberland.

One notable person with the surname Jack was John Jack (1513-1589), a Scottish prelate who served as the Bishop of Glasgow from 1551 to 1571. Another prominent individual with this surname was Gilbert Jack (1578-1628), a Scottish mathematician and physician who made significant contributions to the study of logarithms.

In the 17th century, the surname Jack was also found in the United States, with one of the earliest recorded instances being John Jack, who was born in Virginia in 1639. Another notable American with this surname was Peter Jack (1766-1836), a sailor and merchant from Boston who played a role in the War of 1812.

In the 19th century, a famous individual with the surname Jack was William Jack (1834-1924), a Scottish botanist and geologist who conducted extensive research in India and served as the curator of the Calcutta Botanical Gardens.

The surname Jack has also been associated with various occupations and trades throughout history, such as jacksmith, which referred to a maker of jacks or lifting devices used in mills and other machinery.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Jack families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jack surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 1,445 Jacks recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.20x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 1,445 7.20x
Midlothian 632 7.60x
Angus 475 8.26x
Ross-shire 311 18.24x
Perthshire 294 10.55x
Fife 289 7.86x
Middlesex 289 0.47x
Ayrshire 286 6.16x
Renfrewshire 257 5.34x
Aberdeenshire 218 3.79x
Stirlingshire 206 9.00x
Lancashire 164 0.22x
Morayshire 138 14.31x
Dunbartonshire 135 8.09x
Caithness 111 13.06x
Roxburghshire 97 8.63x
Durham 89 0.48x
Northumberland 85 0.92x
Yorkshire 84 0.14x
Surrey 60 0.20x
West Lothian 54 5.78x
Clackmannanshire 50 9.75x
Banffshire 46 3.57x
Inverness-shire 45 2.43x
Kent 37 0.17x
Selkirkshire 34 6.05x
Kincardineshire 29 3.84x
Warwickshire 26 0.17x
East Lothian 24 2.92x
Argyllshire 21 1.22x
Cheshire 21 0.15x
Gloucestershire 21 0.17x
Staffordshire 21 0.10x
Berwickshire 20 2.66x
Nottinghamshire 17 0.20x
Kinross-shire 16 10.20x
Dumfriesshire 15 1.09x
Hampshire 14 0.11x
Peeblesshire 14 4.79x
Wigtownshire 14 1.70x
Cambridgeshire 13 0.33x
Devon 13 0.10x
Kirkcudbrightshire 11 1.22x
Lincolnshire 10 0.10x
Orkney 10 1.46x
Oxfordshire 10 0.26x
Royal Navy 10 1.35x
Essex 9 0.07x
Northamptonshire 9 0.15x
Nairnshire 8 4.22x
Sussex 8 0.08x
Sutherland 8 1.68x
Berkshire 6 0.13x
Derbyshire 5 0.05x
Glamorgan 5 0.05x
Westmorland 5 0.37x
Buteshire 4 1.06x
Somerset 4 0.04x
Cardiganshire 2 0.13x
Norfolk 2 0.02x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.03x
Cumberland 1 0.02x
Dorset 1 0.02x
Hertfordshire 1 0.02x
Leicestershire 1 0.01x
Rutland 1 0.22x
Shropshire 1 0.02x
Wiltshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 268 Jacks recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.27x.

Place Total Index
Barony 268 5.27x
Govan 264 5.32x
Glasgow 229 6.42x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 228 6.81x
Avoch 171 475.00x
Dundee 154 7.17x
New Monkland 138 23.25x
Hamilton 92 16.43x
Bothwell 74 13.59x
Liff Benvie 68 7.79x
Old Monkland 68 8.53x
Urquhart 62 267.47x
Largs 57 52.07x
Shotts 51 21.23x
Kirkintilloch 49 21.62x
South Leith 49 5.24x
Aberdeen Old Machar 47 3.92x
Lasswade 45 23.67x
Islington London 44 0.73x
Kilrenny 42 61.78x
Paisley High Church 41 10.70x
Falkirk 39 7.28x
Markinch 38 30.46x
Cambusnethan 36 8.07x
Muirkirk 35 32.08x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 34 3.16x
Bathgate 34 16.75x
Renfrew 33 20.77x
Duffus 32 37.65x
Montrose 32 9.18x
Alloa 31 12.47x
Neilston 31 12.84x
Lesmahagow 30 14.13x
Abbey 29 3.95x
Newbattle 29 40.80x
Hackney London 28 0.80x
Inverness 28 6.00x
Polmont 27 31.94x
St Vigeans 27 8.70x
Stirling 27 9.35x
Dalkeith 26 15.85x
Dunblane 25 37.49x
Elgin 25 13.32x
Resolis 25 82.16x
West Derby 25 1.16x
Arbroath 24 12.59x
Dunfermline 24 4.25x
Alva 22 20.14x
Camberwell 22 0.55x
Eastwood 22 7.43x
Edinburgh Tolbooth 22 45.45x
Kelso 22 19.63x
Bootle Cum Linacre 21 3.59x
Dunnet 21 61.46x
Perth East Church 21 7.99x
Rattray 21 32.38x
Reay 21 45.06x
Wick 21 7.65x
Bothkennar 20 29.27x
Glenisla 20 118.84x
Kilmarnock 20 3.62x
Lanark 20 12.38x
Maryhill 20 5.09x
New Deer 20 19.22x
Strichen 20 40.03x
Duddingston 19 11.38x
West Calder 19 11.59x
Westoe 19 1.81x
Ardoch 18 76.79x
Ayr 18 8.21x
Cadder 18 12.14x
Kilmany 18 133.63x
Liverpool 18 0.40x
Poplar London 18 1.54x
Row 18 8.34x
St Pancras London 18 0.36x
Tynemouth 18 3.64x
West Kilbride 18 40.67x
Belhelvie 17 43.25x
Cockpen 17 17.49x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Jack surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 55
Elizabeth 34
Sarah 31
Margaret 26
Jane 24
Ellen 18
Catherine 17
Annie 15
Isabella 15
Jessie 15
Agnes 13
Ann 11
Martha 11
Alice 10
Emma 10
Janet 8
Emily 7
Edith 6
Eleanor 6
Hannah 6
Helen 6
Amelia 5
Frances 5
Ada 4
Anne 4
Caroline 4
Eliza 4
Florence 4
Julia 4
Maggie 4
Maria 4
Susan 4
Amy 3
Barbara 3
Charlotte 3
Christina 3
Fanny 3
Grace 3
Kate 3
Rosina 3
Susanna 3
Clara 2
Elizth. 2
Elizth.C. 2
Eva 2
Jeanie 2
Katherine 2
Marion 2
Matilda 2
Minnie 2

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Jack surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 67
James 59
John 58
Robert 32
Thomas 30
George 23
Alexander 20
Charles 16
David 11
Joseph 11
Richard 11
Arthur 10
Henry 9
Edward 8
Alfred 6
Frederick 6
Peter 6
Andrew 4
Daniel 4
Donald 4
Ernest 4
Francis 4
Albert 3
Gavin 3
Geo. 3
Harry 3
Thos. 3
Walter 3
Alex 2
Augustus 2
Chas. 2
Edmund 2
Evan 2
Fredk. 2
Herbert 2
Hugh 2
Jas. 2
Michael 2
Samuel 2
Sarah 2
Simeon 2
Simon 2
Benjamin 1
Benjm. 1
Dorherthy 1
Douglas 1
Duncan 1
E. 1
Gilbert 1
Wm.Fras. 1

FAQ

Jack surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jack surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,384 people were recorded with the Jack surname. That placed it at #670 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jack surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,986 in 2016. That gives Jack a modern rank of #828.

What does the Jack surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who made or sold jackets or other outer garments.

What does the Jack map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Jack bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.