NameCensus.

UK surname

Janney

Derived from a place name meaning "Jane's island" in Old English, or from a diminutive of the name John.

In the 1881 census there were 162 people recorded with the Janney surname, ranking it #14,746 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 182, ranked #20,890, down from #14,746 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Grainthorpe with Ludney and Wrangholm, Strubby with Woodthorp and Louth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Lindsey, North Lincolnshire and West Lindsey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Janney is 228 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.3%.

1881 census count

162

Ranked #14,746

Modern count

182

2016, ranked #20,890

Peak year

1911

228 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Janney had 162 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,746 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 182 in 2016, ranked #20,890.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 228 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Janney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Janney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Janney 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 65 #21,747
1861 historical 101 #20,955
1881 historical 162 #14,746
1891 historical 163 #17,300
1901 historical 184 #15,942
1911 historical 228 #13,759
1997 modern 196 #17,859
1998 modern 206 #17,796
1999 modern 201 #18,179
2000 modern 202 #18,094
2001 modern 204 #17,736
2002 modern 205 #18,009
2003 modern 198 #18,252
2004 modern 209 #17,706
2005 modern 200 #18,144
2006 modern 201 #18,226
2007 modern 209 #17,951
2008 modern 201 #18,584
2009 modern 201 #18,965
2010 modern 199 #19,515
2011 modern 193 #19,729
2012 modern 189 #19,949
2013 modern 187 #20,436
2014 modern 192 #20,230
2015 modern 187 #20,502
2016 modern 182 #20,890

Geography

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Where Janneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Grainthorpe with Ludney and Wrangholm, Strubby with Woodthorp, Louth, Fulstow and Utterby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Lindsey, North Lincolnshire and West Lindsey. 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 Grainthorpe with Ludney and Wrangholm Lincolnshire
2 Strubby with Woodthorp Lincolnshire
3 Louth Lincolnshire
4 Fulstow Lincolnshire
5 Utterby Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Lindsey 004 East Lindsey
2 North Lincolnshire 023 North Lincolnshire
3 East Lindsey 003 East Lindsey
4 North Lincolnshire 020 North Lincolnshire
5 West Lindsey 003 West Lindsey

Forenames

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First names often paired with Janney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Janney

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Janney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Janney household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Janney is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Janney is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Janney falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Janney

The surname Janney is of English origin and is derived from the Old English word "gennian," meaning "to beget" or "to produce." It is believed to have originated as a baptismal name for the son of John or Jean.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Gennige." This suggests that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 13th century, the name is recorded as "Janney" in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire, which were census records compiled during the reign of King Edward I.

The Janney family is known to have been based in the county of Buckinghamshire, England, particularly in the towns of Iver and Wexham. The name is also associated with the village of Janney in Shropshire, which may have been named after the family or vice versa.

In the 16th century, a prominent member of the Janney family was Thomas Janney (1548-1622), who served as the Mayor of Reading, Berkshire, in 1607.

Another notable figure was Benjamin Janney (1682-1762), a Quaker minister from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who was an early advocate for the abolition of slavery in the American colonies.

In the 19th century, Samuel Janney (1801-1880) was a Quaker historian and author from Virginia, best known for his work "The Life of William Penn."

Joseph Janney (1743-1812) was a prominent Virginia planter and revolutionary soldier who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

Lastly, Eli Janney (1831-1912) was an American inventor and businessman from Virginia, credited with designing and patenting one of the first refrigerated freight cars for transporting perishable goods.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Janney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Janney 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. Lincolnshire leads with 117 Janneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 46.31x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 117 46.31x
Yorkshire 21 1.34x
Warwickshire 11 2.76x
Suffolk 7 3.64x
Middlesex 3 0.19x
Lancashire 2 0.11x
Essex 1 0.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. North Thoresby in Lincolnshire leads with 18 Janneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4390.24x.

Place Total Index
North Thoresby 18 4390.24x
Fulstow 16 5333.33x
Grainthorpe 16 4210.53x
Barton St Peter 10 862.07x
Strubby 10 6250.00x
Utterby 9 6000.00x
Aston 8 7.29x
Sculcoates 7 28.19x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 6 166.21x
Crowle 6 389.61x
Walmsgate 6 15000.00x
Great Grimsby 5 31.17x
Louth 5 86.36x
South Somercoates 4 1739.13x
Theddlethorpe St Helen 4 1818.18x
Alvingham 3 2142.86x
Birmingham 3 2.26x
Doncaster 3 26.22x
Norton In Malton 3 157.89x
Boston Hall Hills 2 465.12x
Bradford 2 5.28x
Bromley London 2 5.75x
Conisholme 2 2857.14x
Louth Park 2 2857.14x
North Somercotes 2 303.03x
Ashby Cum Fenby 1 714.29x
Kirkley 1 62.11x
Maltby Le Marsh 1 625.00x
Newton 1 6.92x
Panton 1 1111.11x
Preston 1 1.99x
St Pancras London 1 0.79x
West Ham 1 1.45x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 14
William 13
Charles 6
John 5
Arthur 3
James 3
Robert 3
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Soloman 2
Solomon 2
Thomas 2
Walter 2
Abraham 1
Alfred 1
Amos 1
Benjamin 1
Croft 1
Edw.H. 1
Eli 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Gilbert 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Jesse 1
Jno. 1
Joseph 1
Levi 1
Locking 1
Mark 1
Silas 1
Tom 1
W.N 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Janney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Janney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 162 people were recorded with the Janney surname. That placed it at #14,746 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Janney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 182 in 2016. That gives Janney a modern rank of #20,890.

What does the Janney surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "Jane's island" in Old English, or from a diminutive of the name John.

What does the Janney map show?

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