NameCensus.

UK surname

Jest

In the 1881 census there were 29 people recorded with the Jest surname, ranking it #29,484 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 102, ranked #30,722, down from #29,484 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bristol, Rother and Mansfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jest is 113 in 2012. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 251.7%.

1881 census count

29

Ranked #29,484

Modern count

102

2016, ranked #30,722

Peak year

2012

113 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jest had 29 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,484 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016, ranked #30,722.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 64 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Jest surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Jest surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jest 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 17 #30,267
1861 historical 18 #31,580
1881 historical 29 #29,484
1891 historical 29 #31,963
1901 historical 52 #28,377
1911 historical 64 #26,435
1997 modern 90 #28,360
1998 modern 87 #29,240
1999 modern 89 #29,168
2000 modern 93 #28,701
2001 modern 91 #28,670
2002 modern 99 #28,082
2003 modern 96 #28,381
2004 modern 94 #28,896
2005 modern 88 #29,831
2006 modern 87 #30,292
2007 modern 87 #30,666
2008 modern 84 #31,370
2009 modern 91 #30,944
2010 modern 97 #30,697
2011 modern 107 #28,979
2012 modern 113 #28,016
2013 modern 110 #29,028
2014 modern 109 #29,452
2015 modern 100 #31,005
2016 modern 102 #30,722

Geography

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Where Jests 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 Bristol, Rother, Mansfield, Central Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire. 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 Bristol 044 Bristol, City of
2 Rother 004 Rother
3 Mansfield 006 Mansfield
4 Central Bedfordshire 017 Central Bedfordshire
5 Huntingdonshire 011 Huntingdonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jest

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jest

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Jest, 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 Jest surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Jest 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Jest 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

Jest 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

Jest falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Jest families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jest 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. Hertfordshire leads with 8 Jests recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.05x.

County Total Index
Hertfordshire 8 41.05x
Middlesex 7 2.48x
Kent 6 6.22x
Surrey 4 2.90x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 24.45x
Northamptonshire 1 3.76x
Staffordshire 1 1.05x
Sussex 1 2.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cheshunt in Hertfordshire leads with 8 Jests recorded in 1881 and an index of 1176.47x.

Place Total Index
Cheshunt 8 1176.47x
Minster In Sheppey 6 375.00x
Enfield 3 161.29x
Rotherhithe 3 85.96x
St Pancras London 3 13.18x
Kelton 1 294.12x
Limpsfield 1 769.23x
Mile End Old Town London 1 16.61x
Northampton St Sepulchre 1 74.07x
Walsall Foreign 1 20.28x
Wisborough Green 1 625.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Caroline 2
Elizabeth 2
Louisa 2
Amy 1
Eliza 1
Florence 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Mary 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

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 Jest households.

FAQ

Jest surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jest surname in 1881?

In 1881, 29 people were recorded with the Jest surname. That placed it at #29,484 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jest surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016. That gives Jest a modern rank of #30,722.

What does the Jest map show?

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