NameCensus.

UK surname

Jacka

A variant spelling of the surname Jacker, possibly derived from an occupational term referring to a maker of jackets or other outerwear.

In the 1881 census there were 150 people recorded with the Jacka surname, ranking it #15,489 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 199, ranked #19,653, down from #15,489 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Illogan, Redruth and Breage. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rhondda Cynon Taf, Cornwall and Bridgend.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jacka is 200 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.7%.

1881 census count

150

Ranked #15,489

Modern count

199

2016, ranked #19,653

Peak year

2013

200 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jacka had 150 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,489 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 199 in 2016, ranked #19,653.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 186 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Jacka surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Jacka surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jacka 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 186 #11,024
1861 historical 143 #15,906
1881 historical 150 #15,489
1891 historical 164 #17,205
1901 historical 181 #16,107
1911 historical 171 #16,461
1997 modern 165 #19,861
1998 modern 169 #20,104
1999 modern 175 #19,798
2000 modern 187 #18,990
2001 modern 180 #19,161
2002 modern 185 #19,212
2003 modern 182 #19,215
2004 modern 186 #19,059
2005 modern 169 #20,153
2006 modern 166 #20,534
2007 modern 171 #20,387
2008 modern 184 #19,666
2009 modern 192 #19,527
2010 modern 199 #19,515
2011 modern 197 #19,483
2012 modern 190 #19,864
2013 modern 200 #19,524
2014 modern 198 #19,841
2015 modern 198 #19,714
2016 modern 199 #19,653

Geography

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Where Jackas are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Illogan, Redruth, Breage, St Columb Minor and Paul. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rhondda Cynon Taf, Cornwall and Bridgend. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Illogan Cornwall
2 Redruth Cornwall
3 Breage Cornwall
4 St Columb Minor Cornwall
5 Paul Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rhondda Cynon Taf 010 Rhondda Cynon Taf
2 Cornwall 046 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 061 Cornwall
4 Bridgend 008 Bridgend
5 Cornwall 072 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jacka

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jacka

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Jacka, 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 Jacka surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Jacka 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Jacka is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Jacka is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Jacka falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Jacka 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 Jacka, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Jacka

The surname Jacka originated from the Old English personal name Jacques, which itself derived from the Biblical name Jacob. It is believed to have first appeared in England during the Norman Conquest of the 11th century, when many French settlers brought over similar names and spellings.

The earliest recorded instance of the Jacka surname can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled as Jaca. This suggests that the name was already well-established in parts of England by the late 11th century. Over time, various spelling variations emerged, including Jacka, Jackaw, and Jackoe.

During the Middle Ages, the Jacka name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Devon and Cornwall in southwestern England. Some historical records indicate that the name may have originated from a place name, possibly referring to a family estate or landholding. However, the exact origins of any potential place name derivation remain uncertain.

One notable early bearer of the Jacka surname was Sir William Jacka, a knight who lived in the 13th century and was recorded as owning lands in Devonshire. Another significant figure was John Jacka, a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, who was born in 1492 and played a prominent role in the local government during the Tudor period.

In the 17th century, Robert Jacka (1592-1678) was a successful businessman and landowner in the parish of Stoke Damerel, near Plymouth. His descendants went on to establish themselves as influential members of the local gentry.

During the 18th century, the Jacka family expanded their presence in the West Country region of England, with several individuals achieving notable positions. For example, Thomas Jacka (1703-1781) was a respected clergyman who served as the vicar of St. Andrew's Church in Plymouth for over four decades.

Moving into the 19th century, one of the most famous bearers of the Jacka surname was Albert Jacka (1893-1932), an Australian soldier who received the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration for valor, during World War I. His courageous actions at the Battle of Gallipoli and on the Western Front earned him widespread admiration and recognition.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Jacka families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jacka 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. Cornwall leads with 129 Jackas recorded in 1881 and an index of 81.12x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 129 81.12x
Glamorgan 10 4.09x
Lancashire 3 0.18x
Devon 1 0.34x
Warwickshire 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Paul in Cornwall leads with 22 Jackas recorded in 1881 and an index of 761.25x.

Place Total Index
Paul 22 761.25x
Sithney 17 1055.90x
Illogan 14 332.54x
Gwennap 12 400.00x
St Columb Minor 11 820.90x
Kenwyn 9 216.35x
Breage 8 551.72x
Perranzabuloe 8 583.94x
Llantrisant 6 97.40x
Sancreed 5 1111.11x
Towednack 5 1612.90x
Llanwonno 3 34.13x
St Erth 3 312.50x
Toxteth Park 3 5.32x
Germoe 2 714.29x
Helston 2 121.21x
Ludgvan 2 157.48x
Truro St Mary 2 149.25x
Birmingham 1 0.85x
Falmouth 1 17.76x
Llantwit Vairdre 1 36.36x
Madron Penzance 1 17.30x
Redruth 1 22.22x
St Allen 1 357.14x
St Austell 1 18.38x
St Buryan 1 151.52x
St Hilary Marazion 1 232.56x
Stoke Damerel 1 4.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 17
Eliza 8
Elizabeth 7
Emily 5
Jane 5
Alice 2
Ellen 2
Hannah 2
Helena 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Polly 2
Sarah 2
Ann 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Betsey 1
Betsie 1
Carolina 1
Christanna 1
Grace 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Johanna 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Lausha 1
Lucy 1
Minnie 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Jacka surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jacka surname in 1881?

In 1881, 150 people were recorded with the Jacka surname. That placed it at #15,489 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jacka surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 199 in 2016. That gives Jacka a modern rank of #19,653.

What does the Jacka surname mean?

A variant spelling of the surname Jacker, possibly derived from an occupational term referring to a maker of jackets or other outerwear.

What does the Jacka map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Jacka 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.