NameCensus.

UK surname

Jacques

A French occupational surname referring to someone who made jackets or jerseys, derived from the Old French "jaque."

In the 1881 census there were 2,537 people recorded with the Jacques surname, ranking it #1,759 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,510, ranked #1,503, up from #1,759 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, North East Derbyshire and Nuneaton and Bedworth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jacques is 4,613 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 77.8%.

1881 census count

2,537

Ranked #1,759

Modern count

4,510

2016, ranked #1,503

Peak year

2010

4,613 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jacques had 2,537 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,759 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,510 in 2016, ranked #1,503.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,366 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Jacques surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Jacques surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Jacques 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 852 #3,192
1861 historical 1,183 #2,397
1881 historical 2,537 #1,759
1891 historical 3,232 #1,471
1901 historical 3,968 #1,418
1911 historical 4,366 #1,181
1997 modern 4,390 #1,495
1998 modern 4,498 #1,503
1999 modern 4,477 #1,524
2000 modern 4,459 #1,523
2001 modern 4,301 #1,536
2002 modern 4,357 #1,545
2003 modern 4,329 #1,525
2004 modern 4,321 #1,529
2005 modern 4,270 #1,527
2006 modern 4,275 #1,525
2007 modern 4,322 #1,531
2008 modern 4,389 #1,516
2009 modern 4,483 #1,519
2010 modern 4,613 #1,512
2011 modern 4,575 #1,504
2012 modern 4,580 #1,473
2013 modern 4,590 #1,497
2014 modern 4,599 #1,504
2015 modern 4,573 #1,495
2016 modern 4,510 #1,503

Geography

Back to top

Where Jacques' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, London parishes, Manchester, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, North East Derbyshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Burnley and Rochdale. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 043 Bradford
2 North East Derbyshire 011 North East Derbyshire
3 Nuneaton and Bedworth 013 Nuneaton and Bedworth
4 Burnley 010 Burnley
5 Rochdale 018 Rochdale

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Jacques

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Jacques

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Jacques, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Jacques surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Jacques household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Jacques is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Jacques is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Jacques falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Jacques is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Jacques

The surname Jacques originated in France and is of French origin. It derives from the given name Jacques, which ultimately comes from the late Latin name Jacobus, a variation of the Biblical name Jacob.

Jacques was one of the most common French surnames during the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. Records suggest it was widespread across northern France, particularly in regions like Normandy, Île-de-France, and Picardy.

The earliest known recorded instance of the surname Jacques dates back to the 12th century. It appears in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a medieval manuscript from the Abbey of Saint-Père in Chartres.

Another notable early reference is in the Domesday Book of 1086, where the name is listed as "Jacobus" in the form of a given name. This suggests the surname Jacques likely emerged as a hereditary name in the following centuries.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Jacques was Philippe Jacques, a 13th-century French trouvère and composer of chansons and lyrical poems. He was active during the reign of King Louis IX of France (1226-1270).

In the 14th century, the name appears in the works of the French writer and philosopher Jean de Meun, best known for his contribution to the famous medieval dream-vision poem, the Roman de la Rose.

During the Renaissance, a prominent bearer of the surname was the French sculptor and architect Jacques Androuet du Cerceau (c. 1510-1584), known for his influential architectural treatises and designs in the French Renaissance style.

Another notable figure was the French philosopher and mathematician René Descartes (1596-1650), whose mother's maiden name was Jacques. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential thinkers of the modern era.

In the 18th century, the French Enlightenment writer and philosopher Denis Diderot (1713-1784) bore the surname Jacques, although he is better known by his patronymic surname Diderot.

Throughout history, the surname Jacques has been associated with various place names and locations in France, such as Jacques-sur-Darnétail, Jacques-de-la-Lande, and Jacques-du-Tilleul.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Jacques families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jacques 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. Lancashire leads with 554 Jacques' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.89x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 554 1.89x
Yorkshire 317 1.29x
Leicestershire 284 10.34x
Middlesex 168 0.68x
Durham 149 2.02x
Derbyshire 121 3.12x
Surrey 114 0.94x
Northamptonshire 101 4.34x
Gloucestershire 97 2.00x
Warwickshire 82 1.31x
Nottinghamshire 77 2.31x
Worcestershire 59 1.82x
Staffordshire 56 0.67x
Cumberland 53 2.49x
Northumberland 47 1.28x
Cheshire 34 0.62x
Kent 28 0.33x
Lincolnshire 24 0.61x
Hertfordshire 13 0.76x
Sussex 13 0.31x
Hampshire 12 0.24x
Westmorland 11 2.02x
Oxfordshire 10 0.65x
Suffolk 10 0.33x
Rutland 8 4.40x
Buckinghamshire 7 0.47x
Devon 7 0.14x
Glamorgan 7 0.16x
Shropshire 7 0.33x
Somerset 7 0.18x
Essex 6 0.12x
Huntingdonshire 6 1.22x
Wiltshire 6 0.27x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.32x
Cornwall 5 0.18x
Midlothian 5 0.15x
Pembrokeshire 5 0.64x
Berkshire 4 0.22x
Brecknockshire 4 0.81x
Norfolk 4 0.11x
Bedfordshire 2 0.16x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.20x
Monmouthshire 2 0.11x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.10x
Herefordshire 1 0.10x
Merionethshire 1 0.22x
Perthshire 1 0.09x
Roxburghshire 1 0.22x
Royal Navy 1 0.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Middleton In Oldham in Lancashire leads with 122 Jacques' recorded in 1881 and an index of 138.45x.

Place Total Index
Middleton In Oldham 122 138.45x
Leicester St Margaret 48 7.17x
Oldham 46 4.85x
Broughton 35 470.43x
Leicester St Mary 33 14.87x
Aston 32 1.86x
Lambeth 32 1.48x
Stanhope 31 40.75x
Cleator 30 33.80x
Manchester 30 2.27x
Heap 29 18.60x
Barrow Upon Soar 27 119.05x
St Pancras London 26 1.30x
Tonge 26 42.17x
Cransley 25 902.53x
Wednesfield 24 19.51x
Windle 24 14.51x
Sheffield 23 2.94x
Nottingham St Mary 21 2.43x
Evenlode 19 829.69x
Ashby De La Zouch 17 26.71x
Ashton Under Lyne 17 2.65x
Bethnal Green London 17 1.58x
Broadwell 17 512.05x
Kettlewell With 17 534.59x
Camberwell 16 1.01x
Castleton 16 5.45x
Cheltenham 16 4.27x
Keighley 16 6.12x
Selston 16 42.91x
Bradmore 15 632.91x
Everton 15 1.60x
Leeds 15 1.08x
Nuneaton 15 20.73x
Shipley 15 11.78x
Chadderton 14 9.74x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 14 16.55x
Lowick 13 389.22x
Bermondsey 12 1.63x
Claylane 12 22.26x
Cliff Cum Lund 12 220.99x
Bradford 11 1.85x
Broughton In Salford 11 4.09x
Chesterfield 11 7.57x
Dukinfield 11 4.35x
Higham On The Hill 11 287.96x
Knighton 11 71.01x
Oldbury 11 6.91x
Pittington 11 53.09x
St George Hanover Square 11 2.52x
Toxteth Park 11 1.11x
Willington 11 25.83x
Cheshunt 10 16.76x
Darlington 10 3.52x
Eccleston In Prescot 10 6.78x
Fairfield 10 38.57x
Holywell 10 52.74x
Islington London 10 0.42x
Loughborough 10 8.03x
Sheepshed 10 26.57x
Southwark St Saviour 10 7.86x
Stranton 10 4.03x
Auckland St Andrew 9 46.25x
Bowling 9 3.70x
Derby St Alkmund 9 7.74x
Gateshead 9 1.63x
Habergham Eaves 9 3.35x
Hackney London 9 0.65x
Harpurhey 9 22.06x
Hornsey 9 2.87x
Ibstock 9 45.09x
Kirkby Mallory Earl 9 68.34x
Lewisham 9 2.00x
Long Eaton 9 17.59x
Melbourne 9 33.96x
Nether Hallam 9 2.71x
Putney 9 7.97x
St Marylebone London 9 0.68x
Stow On The Wold 9 83.41x
Walsall Foreign 9 2.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 167
Sarah 108
Elizabeth 104
Ellen 50
Annie 46
Alice 44
Ann 44
Jane 37
Eliza 35
Emma 33
Hannah 33
Emily 26
Margaret 24
Martha 23
Louisa 22
Charlotte 18
Fanny 18
Rebecca 16
Ada 15
Edith 14
Florence 14
Frances 14
Harriet 14
Clara 13
Isabella 13
Catherine 12
Kate 11
Rose 10
Agnes 9
Anne 9
Lucy 9
Susannah 8
Amelia 7
Gertrude 7
Betsy 6
Dorothy 6
Esther 6
Harriett 6
Maria 6
Caroline 5
Elizth. 5
Jessie 5
Julia 5
Lydia 5
Ruth 5
Selina 5
Eleanor 4
Matilda 4
Phoebe 4
Susan 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 154
William 149
Thomas 102
George 88
James 73
Joseph 61
Henry 39
Charles 34
Robert 32
Arthur 29
Edward 28
Alfred 27
Samuel 25
Richard 23
Frederick 22
Frank 16
Harry 16
Walter 15
Albert 13
Benjamin 12
Herbert 12
David 11
Ernest 11
Amos 9
Edwin 9
Fred 9
Andrew 8
Francis 8
Wm. 8
Isaac 7
Thos. 7
Jonathan 6
Anthony 5
Geo. 5
Harold 5
Josiah 5
Mark 5
Matthew 5
Tom 5
Christopher 4
Harvey 4
Augustus 3
Edmond 3
Elijah 3
Fred. 3
Fredk. 3
Luke 3
Noah 3
Peter 3
Robt. 3

FAQ

Jacques surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jacques surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,537 people were recorded with the Jacques surname. That placed it at #1,759 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jacques surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,510 in 2016. That gives Jacques a modern rank of #1,503.

What does the Jacques surname mean?

A French occupational surname referring to someone who made jackets or jerseys, derived from the Old French "jaque."

What does the Jacques map show?

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