NameCensus.

UK surname

Jean

A French occupational surname for someone who worked with or made jeans or other garments.

In the 1881 census there were 67 people recorded with the Jean surname, ranking it #24,104 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 370, ranked #12,591, up from #24,104 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool, Strathbungo and Brent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jean is 370 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 452.2%.

1881 census count

67

Ranked #24,104

Modern count

370

2016, ranked #12,591

Peak year

2016

370 bearers

Map years

4

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jean had 67 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,104 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 370 in 2016, ranked #12,591.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 177 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Young Families.

Jean surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Jean surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Jean 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 50 #24,274
1861 historical 177 #13,265
1881 historical 67 #24,104
1891 historical 75 #27,414
1901 historical 58 #27,724
1911 historical 79 #24,903
1997 modern 179 #18,889
1998 modern 178 #19,452
1999 modern 184 #19,178
2000 modern 168 #20,252
2001 modern 141 #22,344
2002 modern 155 #21,431
2003 modern 173 #19,834
2004 modern 178 #19,603
2005 modern 191 #18,707
2006 modern 229 #16,748
2007 modern 215 #17,633
2008 modern 218 #17,638
2009 modern 222 #17,797
2010 modern 253 #16,652
2011 modern 267 #15,892
2012 modern 288 #14,934
2013 modern 304 #14,614
2014 modern 330 #13,889
2015 modern 343 #13,365
2016 modern 370 #12,591

Geography

Back to top

Where Jeans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, St Pancras and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Liverpool, Strathbungo, Brent, Tower Hamlets and South Somerset. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Liverpool 013 Liverpool
2 Strathbungo Glasgow City
3 Brent 021 Brent
4 Tower Hamlets 014 Tower Hamlets
5 South Somerset 013 South Somerset

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Jean

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Jean

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Ethnically Diverse Young Families

Nationally, the Jean surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Young Families, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Jean household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many younger parents born overseas (particularly in Africa or EU countries) with children aged 0-4. Individuals identifying as of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities are also common. English may not be the primary language spoken. Accommodation consists principally of flats, and many properties are socially rented and/or overcrowded. Students are also present, unemployment is common, and other adults tend to work in low skilled jobs.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Jean 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

Jean is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Jean falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Jean 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
Other Ethnic Group

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

Meaning and origin of Jean

The surname Jean originates from France, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages around the 12th century. It is derived from the medieval French given name "Jean," which itself comes from the Latin name "Ioannes," a variant of the Hebrew name "Yochanan" meaning "Graced by God." The name Jean was widespread in France during the Middle Ages and was often used as a surname to identify individuals by their given name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Jean can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landholdings in England compiled by order of William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Jewan" and "Jehan," reflecting the phonetic variations common in medieval times.

During the 13th century, the surname Jean became associated with several notable figures. One such individual was Jean de Meung (c. 1240-1305), a French poet and scholar best known for his contributions to the allegorical work "The Romance of the Rose." Another prominent bearer of the name was Jean de Joinville (c. 1224-1317), a medieval chronicler and biographer of King Louis IX of France.

In the 14th century, the surname Jean continued to be used by notable individuals, such as Jean Froissart (c. 1337-c. 1405), a renowned chronicler and poet who documented the Hundred Years' War between England and France. Another notable figure was Jean de Béthencourt (c. 1362-1425), a Norman explorer and conquistador who led the conquest of the Canary Islands in the early 15th century.

The 16th century saw the rise of Jean Calvin (1509-1564), a French theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. His teachings and writings influenced the development of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism, and his surname became closely associated with the Calvinistic branch of the Reformation.

As the surname Jean spread across France and beyond, it took on various local spellings and variations. For example, in the region of Brittany, the surname was sometimes rendered as "Gian" or "Gean," reflecting the local linguistic influences. Similarly, in other regions of France, the name might have been spelled as "Jehan," "Jehanne," or "Jehanne," among other variations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Jean families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jean 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. Channel Islands leads with 63 Jeans recorded in 1881 and an index of 167.69x.

County Total Index
Channel Islands 63 167.69x
Middlesex 20 1.58x
Surrey 10 1.62x
Devon 9 3.41x
Glamorgan 7 3.17x
Norfolk 6 3.08x
Cornwall 2 1.39x
Essex 2 0.80x
Hampshire 2 0.77x
Kent 2 0.46x
Carmarthenshire 1 1.87x
Cheshire 1 0.36x
Fife 1 1.33x
Hertfordshire 1 1.14x
Lancashire 1 0.07x
Monmouthshire 1 1.09x
Northamptonshire 1 0.84x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Helier in Channel Islands leads with 21 Jeans recorded in 1881 and an index of 171.71x.

Place Total Index
St Helier 21 171.71x
St Owen 16 1616.16x
St Mary 10 2325.58x
St Peter 8 740.74x
Cardiff St Mary 7 57.57x
Plymouth St Andrew 7 34.43x
Lambeth 5 4.52x
St Botolph Aldgate London 5 191.57x
Chelsea London 4 10.47x
Heigham 4 38.24x
Mile End Old Town London 4 14.83x
Wimbledon 4 57.64x
St Brelade 3 309.28x
Clerkenwell London 2 6.68x
Norwich St Lawrence 2 740.74x
Southampton St Mary 2 12.24x
St Clement 2 350.88x
St Marylebone London 2 2.95x
St Saviour 2 96.15x
Stoke Damerel 2 10.83x
Burntisland 1 47.62x
Canterbury St Margaret 1 434.78x
Carmarthen St Peter 1 21.88x
Chester St Oswald 1 19.72x
Falmouth 1 19.69x
Lewisham 1 4.33x
Newington 1 2.13x
Shoreditch London 1 1.82x
Spotland 1 5.98x
St Mary Magdalene 1 94.34x
St Woollos 1 9.78x
Tottenham 1 4.95x
Towcester 1 81.30x
Trinity 1 114.94x
Walthamstow 1 11.10x
Watford 1 14.75x
West Ham 1 1.81x
Westminster St Margaret 1 16.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 6
Mary 6
Alice 5
Elizabeth 4
Annie 3
Emma 3
Marie 3
Anne 2
Emily 2
Florence 2
Isabella 2
Louisa 2
Ada 1
Adele 1
Aleidi 1
Ann 1
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Betsy 1
Blanche 1
Eleanor 1
Elibeth 1
Ernestine 1
Fanny 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Helois 1
Henrietta 1
Julie 1
Lillie 1
Lois 1
Lydia 1
Maria 1
Matilda 1
Rachel 1
Rebecca 1
Rosalind 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 7
Philip 5
Francis 4
Charles 3
Frederick 3
James 3
William 3
Albert 2
Louis 2
Abraham 1
Aimable 1
Ange 1
Armand 1
Auguste 1
Edouard 1
Edward 1
Elie 1
Ernest 1
Gueret 1
Henri 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Hyacinthe 1
Jacob 1
Jean 1
Joseph 1
Jules 1
Le 1
Lienchan 1
Moulin 1
Peter 1
Philippe 1
Poultier 1
Primis 1
Richd.A. 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1

FAQ

Jean surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jean surname in 1881?

In 1881, 67 people were recorded with the Jean surname. That placed it at #24,104 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jean surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 370 in 2016. That gives Jean a modern rank of #12,591.

What does the Jean surname mean?

A French occupational surname for someone who worked with or made jeans or other garments.

What does the Jean map show?

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