Explore the Family Name Jennings
The meaning of Jennings
1. English: variant of Jenning, with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s. 2. German: patronymic from a pet form (see Jenning) of the personal name Johannes (see John).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Jennings in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Jennings has experienced a slight decrease in ranking between 2000 and 2010, moving from rank 321 to 347, a decline of 8.1%. However, the actual count of individuals bearing the surname increased by 3.06%, with the number rising from 87,038 to 89,700. The proportion per 100,000 people fell by 5.73%, from 32.26 to 30.41.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #321 | #347 | -8.1% |
| Count | 87,038 | 89,700 | 3.06% |
| Proportion per 100k | 32.26 | 30.41 | -5.73% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Jennings
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some changes over the same period. Notably, the percentage of those identifying as Hispanic nearly doubled, increasing from 1.53% to 2.45%, marking a 60.13% change. There was also a significant increase in the percentage of those identifying as two or more ethnicities, with a rise from 1.62% to 2.25%, equating to a change of 38.89%. While the percentage of those identifying as White decreased slightly from 73.38% to 70.87%, there was a moderate increase in the Black category from 22.36% to 23.06%. In addition, the percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander rose from 0.54% to 0.70%, and those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native increased from 0.56% to 0.66%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 73.38% | 70.87% | -3.42% |
| Black | 22.36% | 23.06% | 3.13% |
| Hispanic | 1.53% | 2.45% | 60.13% |
| Two or More Races | 1.62% | 2.25% | 38.89% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.54% | 0.7% | 29.63% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.56% | 0.66% | 17.86% |
Jennings 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 Jennings is British & Irish, which comprises 54.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.3%) and Eastern European (3.2%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Nigerian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.9% |
| French & German | 21.3% |
| Eastern European | 3.2% |
| Other | 20.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Jennings
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 Jennings have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 86.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.80% |
What Jennings 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 Jennings 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-L21 and R-Z7, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Thompson, Evans, Shaw, Edwards, Taylor, Walker, Jones, Phillips, Thomas, James.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Jennings surname are: H1, H3, 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 Jennings 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.
"Jennings" Surname 42.6%
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.
"Jennings" Surname 30.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Jennings" Surname 22.2%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Cat Allergy
An allergic reaction to cats, characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and difficulty breathing.
"Jennings" Surname 37.8%
23andMe Users 36.7%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Jennings?
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 Jennings are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition