History of your Surname
Get access to Jenkins family records.Start a free trial

Jenkins Family History

Jenkins Name Meaning

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.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Jenkinson, Junkins, Jinkins, Jenkin, Jenks, Junkin, Perkins, Judkins

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Jenkins family from?

You can see how Jenkins families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Jenkins family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Jenkins families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 225 Jenkins families living in Virginia. This was about 11% of all the recorded Jenkins's in USA. Virginia had the highest population of Jenkins families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Jenkins surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Jenkins ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Jenkins. 21% of Jenkins men worked as a Laborer and 10% of Jenkins women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Jenkins were Salesman and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Jenkins | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    21%
  • Farmer
    16%
  • Truck Driver
    3%
  • Salesman
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    10%
  • Cook
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Housewife
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Jenkins family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Jenkins. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Jenkins census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Jenkins

Passenger Lists

There are 129,000 immigration records available for the last name Jenkins. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Jenkins immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 197,000 military records available for the last name Jenkins. For the veterans among your Jenkins ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Jenkins military records

You've only scratched the surface of Jenkins family history

Discover More

What is the average Jenkins lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Jenkins life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Jenkins in 1941 was 29, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Jenkins

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Jenkins family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Jenkins last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial