UK surname
A variant form of the surname Jennings, derived from the medieval given name Jenyn, a pet form of John.
In the 1881 census there were 102 people recorded with the Jenings surname, ranking it #19,518 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 13, ranked #37,278, down from #19,518 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jenings is 212 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 87.3%.
1881 census count
102
Ranked #19,518
Modern count
13
2016, ranked #37,278
Peak year
1851
212 bearers
Map years
5
1851 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Jenings surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Jenings surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 212 | #9,965 |
| 1861 | historical | 83 | #23,189 |
| 1881 | historical | 102 | #19,518 |
| 1891 | historical | 129 | #20,285 |
| 1901 | historical | 127 | #19,893 |
| 1911 | historical | 127 | #19,749 |
| 1997 | modern | 9 | #37,214 |
| 1998 | modern | 5 | #37,861 |
| 1999 | modern | 6 | #37,696 |
| 2000 | modern | 4 | #38,004 |
| 2001 | modern | 4 | #37,862 |
| 2002 | modern | 8 | #37,206 |
| 2003 | modern | 10 | #36,964 |
| 2004 | modern | 9 | #37,213 |
| 2005 | modern | 9 | #37,302 |
| 2006 | modern | 9 | #37,345 |
| 2007 | modern | 8 | #37,572 |
| 2008 | modern | 8 | #37,597 |
| 2009 | modern | 10 | #37,446 |
| 2010 | modern | 10 | #37,517 |
| 2011 | modern | 9 | #37,598 |
| 2012 | modern | 7 | #37,854 |
| 2013 | modern | 9 | #37,653 |
| 2014 | modern | 11 | #37,462 |
| 2015 | modern | 11 | #37,467 |
| 2016 | modern | 13 | #37,278 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Bradford, Reading St Mary, Tilehurst, Theale and Crowan. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 2 | St Pancras | London (North Districts) |
| 3 | Bradford | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| 4 | Reading St Mary, Tilehurst, Theale | Berkshire |
| 5 | Crowan | Cornwall |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Jenings surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Jenings, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Jenings surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Jenings household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Jenings is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Jenings is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Jenings, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Jenings is of English origin, first appearing in the early 12th century. It is derived from the Old French personal name "Gening," which itself comes from the Old English "Gaening," meaning "the son of Gaina." The name is thought to have originated in the county of Kent, in southeast England.
Early records of the name Jenings can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Genings" in the book, indicating its presence in England even before the Norman Conquest of 1066.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Richard Jenings, who lived in Kent during the reign of King Henry III (1216-1272). Another early example is William Jenings, a landowner mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1230.
The name Jenings is also associated with several places in England, such as Jenningsbury in Hertfordshire, which was likely named after an early landowner with the surname. The spelling "Jennings" is an alternative form that emerged in the 16th century.
Notable individuals with the surname Jenings include:
1. Sir Edmund Jenings (1521-1591), an English diplomat and politician who served as the ambassador to Spain during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
2. Henry Jenings (1597-1663), an English clergyman and theologian who was a prominent Puritan minister during the English Civil War.
3. Sarah Jennings, Duchess of Marlborough (1660-1744), a close friend and influential advisor to Queen Anne of Great Britain.
4. Robert Jennings (1685-1766), an English merchant and philanthropist who founded the Jennings Trust, which provided education and housing for the poor.
5. David Jennings (1691-1762), a Welsh Baptist minister and theologian who was a prominent figure in the early Baptist movement in England and Wales.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jenings surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 24 Jenings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.43x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire | 24 | 2.43x |
| Middlesex | 14 | 1.41x |
| Lancashire | 12 | 1.02x |
| Warwickshire | 10 | 3.99x |
| Worcestershire | 9 | 6.93x |
| Devon | 5 | 2.41x |
| Somerset | 5 | 3.12x |
| Suffolk | 5 | 4.13x |
| Staffordshire | 4 | 1.19x |
| Surrey | 4 | 0.83x |
| Gloucestershire | 3 | 1.54x |
| Shropshire | 2 | 2.33x |
| Cambridgeshire | 1 | 1.59x |
| Cornwall | 1 | 0.89x |
| Durham | 1 | 0.34x |
| Norfolk | 1 | 0.65x |
| Sussex | 1 | 0.60x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bradford in Yorkshire leads with 13 Jenings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 54.48x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Bradford | 13 | 54.48x |
| Leamington | 9 | 542.17x |
| Redditch | 9 | 342.21x |
| Blackburn | 8 | 25.48x |
| St Pancras London | 8 | 9.99x |
| Linthorpe | 7 | 119.05x |
| Revelstoke | 5 | 2631.58x |
| Walton | 5 | 1162.79x |
| Sedgley | 4 | 32.08x |
| Manchester | 3 | 5.65x |
| Norton In Doncaster | 3 | 1500.00x |
| Camberwell | 2 | 3.15x |
| Corse | 2 | 1111.11x |
| Islington London | 2 | 2.07x |
| Kensington London | 2 | 3.62x |
| Wellington | 2 | 92.17x |
| Westminster St John | 2 | 16.52x |
| Weston Zoyland | 2 | 869.57x |
| Birmingham | 1 | 1.20x |
| Clapham | 1 | 8.04x |
| Crowan | 1 | 112.36x |
| Eastbourne | 1 | 12.95x |
| Guiting Power | 1 | 476.19x |
| Hedworth Monkton Jarrow | 1 | 7.80x |
| Horton In Bradford | 1 | 6.50x |
| Milson | 1 | 2500.00x |
| Newington | 1 | 2.72x |
| Newton | 1 | 10.99x |
| Ormesby St Michael | 1 | 1000.00x |
| Prees | 1 | 95.24x |
| Shepton Mallet | 1 | 55.56x |
| St Giles Cambridge | 1 | 123.46x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Jenings surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 8 |
| Elizabeth | 3 |
| Maria | 3 |
| Alice | 2 |
| Emily | 2 |
| Julia | 2 |
| Margaret | 2 |
| Sarah | 2 |
| Agnees | 1 |
| Agnes | 1 |
| Ann | 1 |
| Anne | 1 |
| Annie | 1 |
| Betsy | 1 |
| Caroline | 1 |
| Catherine | 1 |
| Christina | 1 |
| Elizabh. | 1 |
| Ellen | 1 |
| Emma | 1 |
| Florence | 1 |
| Frances | 1 |
| Hannah | 1 |
| Harriet | 1 |
| Hesta | 1 |
| Hester | 1 |
| Isabella | 1 |
| Jane | 1 |
| Kate | 1 |
| Louis | 1 |
| Orpha | 1 |
| Pamela | 1 |
| Rose | 1 |
| Susan | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Jenings surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Jenings households.
FAQ
In 1881, 102 people were recorded with the Jenings surname. That placed it at #19,518 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 13 in 2016. That gives Jenings a modern rank of #37,278.
A variant form of the surname Jennings, derived from the medieval given name Jenyn, a pet form of John.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Jenings bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.