NameCensus.

UK surname

Jessen

Danish and Norwegian patronymic surname meaning "son of Jess" or "son of Jes," derived from the given name Jes.

In the 1881 census there were 19 people recorded with the Jessen surname, ranking it #30,872 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 110, ranked #29,225, up from #30,872 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swindon, Calderdale and Castle Point.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jessen is 111 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 478.9%.

1881 census count

19

Ranked #30,872

Modern count

110

2016, ranked #29,225

Peak year

2014

111 bearers

Map years

2

2006 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jessen had 19 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,872 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 110 in 2016, ranked #29,225.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 43 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Jessen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Jessen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Jessen 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 32 #27,570
1861 historical 11 #32,452
1881 historical 19 #30,872
1891 historical 14 #33,037
1901 historical 35 #30,194
1911 historical 43 #28,581
1997 modern 96 #27,490
1998 modern 97 #28,054
1999 modern 97 #28,187
2000 modern 106 #26,848
2001 modern 108 #26,184
2002 modern 103 #27,443
2003 modern 99 #27,871
2004 modern 102 #27,637
2005 modern 103 #27,531
2006 modern 101 #28,125
2007 modern 100 #28,669
2008 modern 100 #29,001
2009 modern 98 #29,906
2010 modern 110 #28,666
2011 modern 101 #29,938
2012 modern 104 #29,543
2013 modern 107 #29,561
2014 modern 111 #29,113
2015 modern 107 #29,708
2016 modern 110 #29,225

Geography

Back to top

Where Jessens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swindon, Calderdale, Castle Point and Blackburn with Darwen. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swindon 003 Swindon
2 Calderdale 004 Calderdale
3 Castle Point 009 Castle Point
4 Castle Point 011 Castle Point
5 Blackburn with Darwen 001 Blackburn with Darwen

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Jessen

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Jessen

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Jessen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Jessen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Jessen is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Jessen is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Jessen 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 Jessen 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Jessen

The surname Jessen has its origins in Denmark, with the name believed to have been derived from the Old Norse personal name "Jesse". This name itself is thought to have come from the Hebrew name "Yishay", meaning "gift" or "wealthy".

The earliest recorded instances of the name Jessen can be traced back to the early 16th century in various parish records and census documents from the Danish regions of Zealand and Jutland. Some of the earliest spellings of the name included Iessen, Jessøn, and Jessøen.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Jessen was Hans Jessen, a merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Næstved on the island of Zealand in the late 16th century. Another notable figure was Nis Jessen, a farmer and local official who resided in the village of Ølgod in western Jutland during the early 17th century.

The Jessen surname is also associated with several place names in Denmark, such as the village of Jessen near Holbæk on the island of Zealand, and the town of Jels in southern Jutland. These place names may have influenced the development and spread of the surname in certain regions.

One of the most prominent individuals with the Jessen surname was Peter Jessen, a Danish lawyer and politician who served as the Minister of Justice from 1859 to 1863. He was born in 1813 in the town of Ribe and played a significant role in the drafting of Denmark's first democratic constitution.

Another notable figure was Jens Christian Jessen, a Danish educator and author who lived from 1821 to 1901. He was a prominent advocate for the education of the deaf and wrote several influential works on the subject.

In the field of science, the name Jessen is associated with Theodor Jessen, a German-Danish botanist and mycologist who made significant contributions to the study of fungi. He was born in 1836 in the Danish town of Sønderborg and published numerous works on the flora of northern Europe.

While the surname Jessen is predominantly found in Denmark and other Scandinavian countries, it has also been carried by individuals of Danish descent in other parts of the world, particularly in regions with historically significant Danish communities or settlements.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Jessen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jessen 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 7 Jessens recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.19x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 7 3.19x
Yorkshire 4 2.18x
Middlesex 3 1.62x
Leicestershire 2 9.74x
Durham 1 1.81x
Lanarkshire 1 1.67x
Sussex 1 3.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Toxteth Park in Lancashire leads with 7 Jessens recorded in 1881 and an index of 94.09x.

Place Total Index
Toxteth Park 7 94.09x
Sculcoates 4 137.46x
St George Hanover Square 2 61.35x
Whetstone 2 2500.00x
Barony 1 6.60x
Poplar London 1 28.57x
Stranton 1 53.76x
Yapton 1 2500.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2
Annie 1
Blanch 1
Elizabeth 1
Emma 1
Ricks 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Andrew 1
Charles 1
George 1
H. 1
James 1
John 1
Morten 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1
William 1

Top occupations

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 Jessen households.

FAQ

Jessen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jessen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 19 people were recorded with the Jessen surname. That placed it at #30,872 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jessen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 110 in 2016. That gives Jessen a modern rank of #29,225.

What does the Jessen surname mean?

Danish and Norwegian patronymic surname meaning "son of Jess" or "son of Jes," derived from the given name Jes.

What does the Jessen map show?

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