JONES Surname Meaning and Origin

Jones is a patronymic surname meaning "Jehovah has favored." Jones is a popular surname among European Christians, as the name John was bestowed in honor of St. John the Baptist and many other saints by the name John. JOHNSON is a common English version of this surname.

Jones is the most common surname in Wales, where "son of" is denoted by the "s" ending. Jones is also the second most common surname in Australia and England, and the fifth most common American surname.

Because most last names originate in multiple areas, the best way to learn more about your Jones last name is to research your own specific family history. If you are new to genealogy, try these steps to begin tracing your family tree. If you're interested in learning more about the Jones Family Crest, then check out the article Family Coat of Arms - They Aren't What You Think.

Surname Origin: English, Welsh

Alternate Surname Spellings: JOHNS   See also JOHNSON

Fun Facts About the Jones Surname:

The popular saying, "Keeping up with the Joneses," was first developed by cartoonist, Arthur R. "Pop" Momand, for the comic strip by that name. It debuted in New York World magazine in 1916.
 

Some Early JONES Ancestors:

• William Jones - born about 1520 in Machen, Gwynllwg, Monmouth, Mid-Glamorgan, Wales
• Hugh Jones - born abt. 1635 in England; settled in Salem, Massachusetts about 1650.

Famous People with the Surname JONES:

• James Earl Jones - American Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor of stage and screen
• John Paul Jones - American Revolution Captain
• Mother Jones - Labor organizer Mary Harris
• George Jones - Country music legend

Genealogy Resources for the Surname JONES:

Search Strategies for Common Last Names
Use these strategies for locating ancestors with common names like Jones to help you research your JONES ancestors online.

100 Most Common U.S. Surnames & Their Meanings
Smith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census?

Jones Surname DNA Project
This diverse Jones DNA project has nearly 200 members from around the world.

Ah, You Must Be a Jones
An interesting article on the origins of Wales' most common surname - Jones. From The Big Issue Cymru, Cardiff, Wales, May 2008.

Jones Name Meaning & Family History
An overview of the Jones surname meaning, plus subscription-based access to genealogical records on Jones families around the world from Ancestry.com.

Jones Family Genealogy Forum
Search this popular genealogy forum for the Jones surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Jones query.

FamilySearch - JONES Genealogy
Search and access records, queries, and lineage-linked online family trees posted for the Jones surname and its variations. FamilySearch features over 31 million results for the Jones last name.

DistantCousin.com - JONES Genealogy & Family History
Free databases and genealogy links for the last name Jones.
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References: Surname Meanings & Origins

Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.

Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005.

Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004.

Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.

Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.

Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

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