Explore the Family Name Jama

The meaning of Jama

1. Muslim: from a derivative of Arabic jāmiʿ ‘author, writer’, literally ‘gatherer (of texts)’. 2. Slovenian: topographic name for someone who lived by a depression or a cave or hole, from jama ‘cave, hole’. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Mohamed, Mohamud, Ahmed, Ali, Omar, Said, Abdullahi, Amina, Hassan, Hibo, Issa, Abdi. Indian Asha.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Jama in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Jama has significantly gained popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Jama ranked 20,191 in terms of general popularity; however, by 2010, it had risen considerably to a rank of 10,951. This represents an impressive increase of approximately 45.76%. Furthermore, the count of individuals with the Jama surname more than doubled over this decade, growing from 1,227 in 2000 to 2,907 in 2010, which is an increase of about 136.92%. Similarly, the proportion of individuals with the Jama surname per 100,000 people also saw a substantial increase from 0.45 to 0.99, marking a rise of around 120%.

20002010Change
Rank#20,191#10,95145.76%
Count1,2272,907136.92%
Proportion per 100k0.450.99120%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Jama

In regards to ethnicity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some significant shifts over the span of a decade. While there was no representation amongst Asian/Pacific Islanders and American Indian and Alaskan Natives in either 2000 or 2010, notable changes occurred within other ethnic groups. The largest change was seen in the Black community, where representation increased from 64.06% in 2000 to a dominant 92.78% in 2010. This represents an increase of 44.83%. On the contrary, the percentage of individuals identifying as two or more races dropped drastically from 23.47% in 2000 to just 1.17% in 2010, showing a decrease of 95.01%. Additionally, the representation of Whites and Hispanics with the surname Jama decreased by 53.44% and 48.66%, respectively.

20002010Change
Black64.06%92.78%44.83%
White8.72%4.06%-53.44%
Hispanic2.61%1.34%-48.66%
Two or More Races23.47%1.17%-95.01%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%