Etymology Of The Last Name "Jones" & Its Frequency In The United States, With Special Attention To African Americans

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides information about the etymology of the last name (surname) "Jones" and the frequency of its use in the United States, particularly with Black Americans.

The content of this post is given for etymological purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
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Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/12/etymology-about-last-name-moore-its.html for a somewhat related post on the etymology of the last name "Moore" & its frequency in the USA.

Also, click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/02/washington-blackest-last-name-in-united.html for a related 2016 pancocojams post entitled "Washington"- The Blackest Last Name In The United States.

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ETYMOLOGY OF THE LAST NAME "JONES"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jones_(surname)
"Jones is a surname of English and Welsh origins, meaning "John's son". It is most common in Wales and south central England.[1][2] In Ireland the surname has been Gaelicized as Mac Seóin.

History[edit]

Distribution of Jones surname in Britain
It first appears on record as a surname in England in 1273 with the name "Matilda Jones".[2] Others put the first known record of the surname Jones as 1279, in Huntingdonshire, England.[3] Around the time of the union of Wales with England, the traditional Welsh system of patronymics was increasingly replaced by surnames. Furthermore, Christian names such as John which were common in England had become increasingly preferred to distinctively Welsh Christian names such as Meredudd and Llewelyn. Thus "Mab Ioan" or "ap Sion" (and many other variations) meaning "son of John" became the surname Jones in a large number of cases, making it a very frequently used surname.[4]

20th and 21st centuries
Jones remains the most popular surname in Wales, borne by 5.75% of the population.[5] The frequency in England is lower, at 0.75%, making it the second most common surname, after Smith.[5] The 2000 United States census provides a frequency of 0.50%, providing an overall rank of fifth most frequent with 57.7% White, 37.7% Black, 1.4% Hispanic, 0.9% Native American.[6] Jones was the fourth most common surname in the 1990 U.S. Census, behind only Smith, Johnson and Williams.[7] The popularity of the Jones surname in North America is in part owed to the use of Jones as an anglicized or shortened form of various cognate and like-sounding surnames from various European Languages.[8] These names are thought to include the German Jans, Jentz, Janz and possibly Janson, as well as the Scandinavian Jönsson, Johansen and Jonasen among some others, along with Polish Janowski, French Jean and Jacques, Irish MacSeáin, English Johnson, Spanish Jimenez and possibly Gomez, Italian Giannio, Serbian Jovanovic, Dutch Janzen and Scots Johnston (A habitational name)."

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FREQUENCY OF THE LAST NAME "MOORE" AMONG BLACK AMERICANS
Excerpt #1:
From https://names.mongabay.com/data/black.html
Most common last names for Blacks in the U.S. [2000]
"The following is a list of the most common surnames for people who self-identified as "Black" in America during the 2000 Census [updated data]. The data, which may include people who identified themselves as African-American, African, or other ethnic or racial groups, is derived from the U.S. Bureau of the Census.

Last name / Surname: JONES

[...]

Surname rank among blacks: 4

[...]

% of people with surname self-identifying as 'black': 37.7%

U.S. Rank: 5 "

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Excerpt #2:
From https://names.mongabay.com/race/2010/population-black.html [2010]
"Name: JONES

[...]

Surname rank among blacks: 4

% black in genpop 2010: 38.48%

[...]

% Total general population rank: 5 "

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Excerpt #3:
From http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/05/50-most-common-african-american.html "50 MOST COMMON AFRICAN AMERICAN SURNAMES (Based on Births among Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Residents) During 1992-2001
"Note: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the largest city in Allegheny County.

[...]
3. Jones (518 ) [# of Black babies* with the surname "Jones" who were born in Allegheny County during those years; "Black" defined as anyone of Black descent, included children of Black/non-Black birth parents]

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A FEW FAMOUS BLACK AMERICANS WITH THE LAST NAME "JONES"
These names are given in no particular order.

"James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. His career has spanned more than 60 years, and he has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors[4] and "one of the greatest actors in American history." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Earl_Jones

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"Grace Beverly Jones (born 19 May 1948) is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, supermodel, record producer, and actress. Born in Jamaica, she moved when she was 13, along with her siblings, to live with her parents in Syracuse, New York.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Jones

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"Jonathan David Samuel Jones (October 7, 1911 – September 3, 1985) was an American jazz drummer. A band leader and pioneer in jazz percussion, Jones anchored the Count Basie Orchestra rhythm section from 1934 to 1948. He was sometimes known as Papa Jo Jones to distinguish him from younger drummer Philly Joe Jones."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo_Jones

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"Orlando Jones (born April 10, 1968) is an American comedian and actor. He is known for being one of the original cast members of the sketch comedy series MADtv and for his role as the 7 Up spokesman from 1999 to 2002." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orlando_Jones

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"Sharon Lafaye Jones (May 4, 1956 – November 18, 2016) was an American soul and funk singer. She was the lead singer of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, a soul and funk band based in Brooklyn, New York."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharon_Jones

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"Amiri Baraka (born Everett LeRoi Jones; October 7, 1934 – January 9, 2014), previously known as LeRoi Jones and Imamu Amiri Baraka*, was an African-American writer of poetry, drama, fiction, essays and music criticism.“
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiri_Baraka
*I corrected the spelling of the name "Amiri" that was given in this Wikipedia page (which spelled that name "Amear". "Imamu" is a title that means "spiritual leader".

I've read that this African American poet's, playwright's, critic's, and activist's birth name was spelled "Leroy" at birth (the same as his father's middle name Colt Leroy Jones), but he changed the spelling of his name at a later date. However, I can't find the source for this information.

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"Tamala Regina Jones (born November 12, 1974)[1] is an American actress https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamala_Jones

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"Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvin_Jones

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"Ed Lee Jones (born February 23, 1951), commonly known as Ed "Too Tall" Jones, is a retired American football player who played 15 seasons (1974–1978, 1980–1989) in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys.[1] In 1979, he briefly left football to attempt a career in professional boxing."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_%22Too_Tall%22_Jones

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