Explore the Family Name Jenkins
The meaning of Jenkins
English and Welsh: variant of Jenkin, with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s. Jenkins is one of the most common surnames in England, especially southwestern England, but is also especially associated with Wales.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Jenkins in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Jenkins has seen slight changes over the decade from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Jenkins was ranked as the 95th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had slipped to 102nd place, marking a 7.37% decrease. However, the count of people with the surname Jenkins went up by 4.17%, rising from 213,737 in 2000 to 222,653 in 2010. The proportion per 100k also decreased slightly from 79.23 in 2000 to 75.48 in 2010, indicating a drop of 4.73%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #95 | #102 | -7.37% |
| Count | 213,737 | 222,653 | 4.17% |
| Proportion per 100k | 79.23 | 75.48 | -4.73% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Jenkins
In terms of ethnic identity, there have been some shifts among those who identify as Jenkins according to the data from the Decennial U.S. Census. A notable increase was observed in the Hispanic ethnicity, which surged by 54.48% from 2000 to 2010, and those identifying as belonging to two or more races, which rose by 43.20%. While the largest group, White, saw a minor decrease of 3.93% during this period, there was a slight increase of 2.25% in the Black population. The Asian/Pacific Islander category also grew by 18.18%, and the American Indian and Alaskan Native category showed a small growth of 3.64%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 60.12% | 57.76% | -3.93% |
| Black | 35.97% | 36.78% | 2.25% |
| Two or More Races | 1.69% | 2.42% | 43.2% |
| Hispanic | 1.34% | 2.07% | 54.48% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.55% | 0.57% | 3.64% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.33% | 0.39% | 18.18% |
Jenkins ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Jenkins is British & Irish, which comprises 53.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.4%) and Nigerian (5.3%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Eastern European, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.2% |
| French & German | 20.4% |
| Nigerian | 5.3% |
| Other | 21.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Jenkins
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Jenkins have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 80.70% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 80.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 80.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 80.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 80.10% |
What Jenkins haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Jenkins is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Thomas, Jones, Lewis, Evans, Davis, Williams, Watkins, Phillips, James, Price.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Jenkins surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Jenkins have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Jenkins" Surname 42.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Jenkins" Surname 29.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Jenkins" Surname 25.1%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Cat Allergy
An allergic reaction to cats, characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and difficulty breathing.
"Jenkins" Surname 38.3%
23andMe Users 36.7%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Jenkins?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Jenkins are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition