Explore the Family Name Jones
The meaning of Jones
1. English and Welsh: from the Middle English personal name Jon(e) (see John), with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s. The surname is especially common in Wales and southern central England. It began to be adopted as a non-hereditary surname in some parts of Wales from the 16th century onward, but did not become a widespread hereditary surname there until the 18th and 19th centuries. In North America, this surname has absorbed various cognate and like-sounding surnames from other languages. It is (including in the sense 2 below) the fifth most frequent surname in the US. It is also very common among African Americans and Native Americans. 2. English: habitational or occupational name for someone who lived or worked ‘at John’s (house)’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Jones in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Jones" remained steady between 2000 and 2010, maintaining its place as the fifth most common surname in the United States. The count of individuals with this surname increased by 4.6 percent over the decade, growing from 1,362,755 in 2000 to 1,425,470 in 2010. Despite the increase in the total number of people bearing the name, the proportion of Joneses per 100,000 population decreased slightly by 4.34 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5 | #5 | 0% |
| Count | 1,362,755 | 1,425,470 | 4.6% |
| Proportion per 100k | 505.17 | 483.24 | -4.34% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Jones
Ethnic identity data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals shifts in the ethnic composition of individuals with the surname "Jones" between 2000 and 2010. While a majority identified as White (55.19 percent) or Black (38.48 percent), there were notable increases among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and those reporting two or more races. The proportion of Joneses identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by 25.71 percent, while the number who identified as Hispanic rose by 59.03 percent. Those reporting two or more races also saw an increase of 41.08 percent. Meanwhile, the percentage of Joneses identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native saw a moderate increase of 6.38 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 57.69% | 55.19% | -4.33% |
| Black | 37.73% | 38.48% | 1.99% |
| Two or More Races | 1.85% | 2.61% | 41.08% |
| Hispanic | 1.44% | 2.29% | 59.03% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.94% | 1% | 6.38% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.35% | 0.44% | 25.71% |
Jones 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 Jones is British & Irish, which comprises 52.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.8%) and Nigerian (5.4%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Scandinavian, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 52.9% |
| French & German | 19.8% |
| Nigerian | 5.4% |
| Other | 22.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Jones
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 Jones have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 79.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 79.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 79.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 79.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 79.10% |
What Jones 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 Jones 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-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Thomas, Lewis, Morgan, Davis, Evans, Phillips, James, Lloyd, Morris, Price.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Jones 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 Jones 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.
"Jones" Surname 41.0%
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.
"Jones" Surname 29.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Jones" Surname 24.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Cat Allergy
An allergic reaction to cats, characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and difficulty breathing.
"Jones" Surname 36.8%
23andMe Users 36.7%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Jones?
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 Jones are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition