NameCensus.

UK surname

Jones

A patronymic surname meaning "son of John" in English and Welsh.

In the 1881 census there were 338,678 people recorded with the Jones surname, ranking it #2 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 424,930, also still ranked #2.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gwynedd.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jones is 440,309 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.5%.

1881 census count

338,678

Ranked #2

Modern count

424,930

2016, ranked #2

Peak year

2000

440,309 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jones had 338,678 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 424,930 in 2016, ranked #2.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 439,383 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Jones surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Jones surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jones 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 245,423 #2
1861 historical 241,948 #2
1881 historical 338,678 #2
1891 historical 357,799 #2
1901 historical 403,733 #2
1911 historical 439,383 #2
1997 modern 418,304 #2
1998 modern 435,769 #2
1999 modern 439,542 #2
2000 modern 440,309 #2
2001 modern 424,377 #2
2002 modern 431,390 #2
2003 modern 420,829 #2
2004 modern 419,807 #2
2005 modern 411,623 #2
2006 modern 411,486 #2
2007 modern 415,115 #2
2008 modern 416,615 #2
2009 modern 426,196 #2
2010 modern 436,807 #2
2011 modern 429,436 #2
2012 modern 418,866 #2
2013 modern 428,531 #2
2014 modern 431,327 #2
2015 modern 427,088 #2
2016 modern 424,930 #2

Geography

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Where Jones' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, Toxteth Park, Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gwynedd. 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 3
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Merthyr Tydfil Glamorganshire
5 Aberdare Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gwynedd 012 Gwynedd
2 Gwynedd 006 Gwynedd
3 Gwynedd 008 Gwynedd
4 Gwynedd 009 Gwynedd
5 Gwynedd 011 Gwynedd

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jones

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jones

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Jones surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Jones 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Jones is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Jones is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Jones falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Jones

The surname Jones originated from the personal name John, which is derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan, meaning "Yahweh is gracious". It is believed to have first emerged as a surname in England during the 12th century, initially used to denote someone as the son of John.

In medieval times, the name Jones was commonly spelled as Jon, Jone, or Jons, before evolving to its modern form. The earliest recorded appearance of the surname Jones is in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1182, where a man named Richard Jones is mentioned.

The name Jones quickly spread across England and Wales, with many bearers of the name originating from counties like Shropshire, Flintshire, and Denbighshire. Some notable early figures with the surname Jones include Sir William Jones (1566-1640), a renowned Welsh judge and politician.

In the 14th century, the surname Jones appeared in the Domesday Book, a manuscript commissioned by William the Conqueror to record landholdings in England. This further solidified the name's place in English history.

Over the centuries, the surname Jones has been associated with various prominent individuals. One of the most famous was Inigo Jones (1573-1652), a renowned English architect who designed the Banqueting House in London and introduced the classical Renaissance style to England.

Another notable figure was Sir William Jones (1746-1794), a philologist and scholar who established the field of comparative linguistics and was instrumental in deciphering Sanskrit. He also served as a judge in the Supreme Court of Bengal.

In the United States, the surname Jones has a long and storied history, with many bearers of the name making significant contributions. One such individual was John Paul Jones (1747-1792), a Revolutionary War naval hero often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy".

Another notable American with the surname Jones was James Jones (1921-1977), an acclaimed novelist and author of works such as "From Here to Eternity" and "The Thin Red Line", both of which were adapted into successful films.

Lastly, Bobby Jones (1902-1971) was a legendary American golfer who achieved a Grand Slam in 1930, winning all four major championships in a single year, a feat that has never been replicated in the modern era of professional golf.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Jones families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jones 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 34,724 Jones' recorded in 1881 and an index of 0.88x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 34,724 0.88x
Glamorgan 31,945 5.55x
Caernarfonshire 26,597 19.88x
Denbighshire 19,984 15.99x
Middlesex 18,538 0.56x
Staffordshire 14,503 1.30x
Carmarthenshire 13,988 10.03x
Cardiganshire 13,892 17.21x
Shropshire 13,061 4.57x
Monmouthshire 12,502 5.23x
Merionethshire 12,309 20.33x
Flintshire 11,975 13.46x
Cheshire 10,840 1.48x
Anglesey 10,416 17.76x
Montgomeryshire 9,739 12.85x
Surrey 8,555 0.53x
Warwickshire 8,041 0.96x
Yorkshire 6,766 0.21x
Gloucestershire 6,625 1.02x
Brecknockshire 6,033 9.12x
Worcestershire 5,600 1.30x
Herefordshire 4,351 3.21x
Kent 4,193 0.37x
Durham 2,817 0.29x
Pembrokeshire 2,623 2.49x
Hampshire 2,530 0.37x
Somerset 2,261 0.42x
Devon 1,886 0.27x
Radnorshire 1,812 6.79x
Essex 1,676 0.26x
Sussex 1,559 0.28x
Northamptonshire 1,537 0.49x
Derbyshire 1,534 0.30x
Wiltshire 1,469 0.50x
Oxfordshire 1,029 0.50x
Leicestershire 1,028 0.28x
Berkshire 938 0.38x
Nottinghamshire 844 0.19x
Buckinghamshire 791 0.40x
Lanarkshire 778 0.07x
Cornwall 692 0.18x
Norfolk 630 0.12x
Northumberland 623 0.13x
Lincolnshire 532 0.10x
Bedfordshire 499 0.29x
Cumberland 472 0.17x
Hertfordshire 423 0.19x
Suffolk 358 0.09x
Cambridgeshire 349 0.17x
Dorset 304 0.14x
Midlothian 261 0.06x
Ayrshire 253 0.10x
Royal Navy 216 0.55x
Renfrewshire 181 0.07x
Channel Islands 163 0.17x
Isle of Man 137 0.22x
Angus 115 0.04x
Huntingdonshire 105 0.16x
Westmorland 72 0.10x
Dunbartonshire 56 0.06x
Stirlingshire 55 0.05x
Argyllshire 39 0.04x
Aberdeenshire 36 0.01x
West Lothian 34 0.07x
Roxburghshire 30 0.05x
Perthshire 27 0.02x
Rutland 26 0.11x
Wigtownshire 24 0.05x
Berwickshire 22 0.05x
Fife 22 0.01x
Dumfriesshire 20 0.03x
East Lothian 17 0.04x
Inverness-shire 17 0.02x
Buteshire 11 0.05x
Kirkcudbrightshire 11 0.02x
Ross-shire 11 0.01x
Clackmannanshire 7 0.03x
Orkney 7 0.02x
Morayshire 6 0.01x
Banffshire 5 0.01x
Selkirkshire 3 0.01x
Sutherland 1 0.00x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Merthyr Tydfil in Glamorgan leads with 4,904 Jones' recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.86x.

Place Total Index
Merthyr Tydfil 4,904 8.86x
Ystradyfodwg 4,117 8.15x
Toxteth Park 3,556 2.67x
Birmingham 3,523 1.27x
Liverpool 3,442 1.44x
Aberdare 3,321 8.40x
Everton 3,244 2.59x
Bedwellty 3,117 7.38x
Festiniog 2,917 22.84x
Ruabon 2,656 15.46x
Aston 2,611 1.14x
Llanbeblig 2,421 17.83x
West Derby 2,350 2.05x
Bangor 2,151 16.67x
Llanelly 1,928 6.14x
Holywell 1,893 16.95x
Islington London 1,844 0.58x
Lambeth 1,829 0.63x
Swansea Town 1,816 3.84x
Wolverhampton 1,714 2.00x
Llanddeiniolen 1,692 21.63x
Birkenhead 1,659 2.85x
Llanllechid 1,641 17.45x
Manchester 1,616 0.92x
Holyhead 1,543 14.11x
Llanllyfni 1,499 23.74x
Stoke Upon Trent 1,466 1.24x
St Pancras London 1,456 0.55x
Llanwonno 1,397 6.75x
Aberystruth 1,324 6.28x
Salford 1,300 1.13x
Carmarthen St Peter 1,261 10.58x
Rhuddlan 1,239 15.83x
Kirkdale 1,233 1.87x
Trevethin 1,208 5.35x
Clase 1,174 5.48x
Llanguick 1,159 11.23x
Llandwrog 1,152 24.58x
Ynyscynhaiarn 1,123 18.03x
West Bromwich 1,095 1.71x
Hulme 1,061 1.29x
Gelligaer 1,046 7.95x
Hackney London 1,044 0.56x
Sedgley 1,036 2.50x
St Marylebone London 1,009 0.57x
Camberwell 989 0.47x
Aberystwith 986 14.19x
Oswestry Town 970 10.60x
Mold 935 11.59x
Kensington London 918 0.50x
Bethnal Green London 895 0.62x
Bersham 892 16.73x
Llanrwst 868 20.06x
Amlwch 850 15.40x
Wrexham Regis 850 9.16x
Chorlton On Medlock 831 1.33x
Denbigh 821 16.37x
Wellington 819 5.10x
Whitford 813 17.64x
Battersea 810 0.67x
Llandegai 797 19.46x
Dolgelley 774 17.19x
Shoreditch London 771 0.54x
Llanfihangel Y Traethau 769 22.34x
Llandyssil 768 22.76x
Kingswinford 757 1.87x
Llanidloes 747 13.29x
Tranmere 728 2.71x
St Woollos 724 2.71x
Llanrug 722 20.60x
Llantrisant 718 4.94x
Denio 717 22.91x
Walsall Foreign 712 1.23x
Bilston 707 3.27x
Llanycil 706 21.69x
Paddington London 691 0.57x
West Ham 687 0.48x
Monks Coppenhall 682 2.47x
Abergele 672 18.69x
Towyn 661 17.35x
Chester St Oswald 657 4.97x
Llanberis 650 18.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 26,773
Elizabeth 16,304
Sarah 11,308
Jane 10,764
Margaret 9,507
Ann 8,442
Ellen 5,474
Anne 4,478
Catherine 4,375
Hannah 3,767
Eliza 3,759
Annie 3,312
Alice 2,870
Emma 2,859
Martha 2,742
Emily 2,310
Harriet 1,694
Maria 1,472
Edith 1,355
Louisa 1,281
Rachel 1,188
Charlotte 1,086
Fanny 1,038
Caroline 1,024
Esther 919
Florence 914
Kate 913
Ada 897
Eleanor 894
Cathrine 865
Frances 854
Margret 813
Elizth. 742
Clara 733
Agnes 715
Susan 683
Laura 671
Amelia 618
Lucy 615
Grace 590
Rebecca 534
Harriett 522
Gwen 513
Ruth 500
Susannah 499
Margt. 490
Sophia 469
Matilda 426
Ellin 420
Amy 407

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 26,003
William 21,397
Thomas 15,177
David 9,480
Edward 6,088
Robert 5,952
George 5,352
James 5,277
Richard 5,000
Henry 4,805
Evan 3,478
Charles 3,456
Joseph 3,248
Samuel 2,568
Hugh 2,337
Owen 2,161
Alfred 2,060
Arthur 1,809
Daniel 1,690
Frederick 1,416
Benjamin 1,289
Walter 1,276
Griffith 1,236
Albert 1,227
Edwin 1,199
Wm. 984
Isaac 959
Harry 877
Lewis 855
Ernest 847
Thos. 760
Herbert 724
Rees 676
Frank 613
Francis 587
Morgan 563
Peter 542
Ellis 534
Morris 400
Stephen 372
Enoch 301
Elias 296
Robt. 271
Edmund 270
Humphrey 255
Richd. 247
Tom 243
Philip 242
Moses 237
Rowland 234

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 Jones households.

FAQ

Jones surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jones surname in 1881?

In 1881, 338,678 people were recorded with the Jones surname. That placed it at #2 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jones surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 424,930 in 2016. That gives Jones a modern rank of #2.

What does the Jones surname mean?

A patronymic surname meaning "son of John" in English and Welsh.

What does the Jones map show?

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