The Jameson surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 13,255 people carried this name — #2,715 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 22,300 people counted. That is up 3% from 12,868 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Jameson surname

A Scottish and Northern Irish surname originating as a patronymic derived from the given name James.

From James + -son.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Jameson» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of James’.

His entry covers James, Jameson, Jamieson, Jamison and Jamson.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 425 · public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 69 people named Jameson live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 27
San Juan 23
San Luis 19

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In the Nordic population registers

30 people named Jameson is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 30

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Jameson was found among the farmers of Durham: 24 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent. His list gives one count for the spellings Jameson and Jamieson.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Durham 24

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

140 families named Jameson, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 708 people lived in those households, 5.1 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 17 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 49
Virginia 22
Maryland 14
Maine 12
North Carolina 12
South Carolina 11
New Hampshire 9
New York 6
Massachusetts 3
Vermont 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 247 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Jameson in American newspapers,
1890–1905.

Newspaper page from Southern Christian Advocate carrying the name Jameson
Southern Christian Advocate 1905-11-23
Newspaper page from St. Croix Avis carrying the name Jameson
St. Croix Avis 1890-12-20
Newspaper page from The News And Observer carrying the name Jameson
The News And Observer 1890-11-16

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 4,976 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Jameson in Australian newspapers,
1810s–2000s.

21,935 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Jameson. The most, 4,145, date from the 1900s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 1.8 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 7,307
New South Wales 6,170
Victoria 3,278
Western Australia 2,020
South Australia 1,860
Tasmania 1,154
ACT (Canberra) 55
Northern Territory 36

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Jameson.

Who carried it

People named Jameson,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Walter Jameson d. 1848 · naval officer
  • Mary Jameson d. 1946
  • Lucy Cairnes d. 1907
  • Isabella Jameson d. 1903
  • Sutherland Jameson d. 1926
  • Violet Isabella Jameson d. 1960

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Jameson,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,492 records

1,492 records of the Jameson name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 465
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 345
  • Other U.S. records 682
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Dyson T. Jameson

    Born 1920 in Maine. Enlisted 1942 at Portland; crane operator. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2001, buried at Maine Veterans' Memorial Cemetery - Mount Vernon Rd, Augusta, Maine.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Larry Duane Jameson

    Born 1934; from Cantril, Iowa. U.S. Marine Corps; killed in action 1963 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam. Buried at Wilmington National Cemetery, North Carolina.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Robert Jameson

    Arrived at New York in 1891 aboard the La Touraine from Havre, aged 23; farmer. From Jersey City, France; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,492 records for Jameson in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia628 records

628 records of the Jameson name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 357
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 125
  • Other Australian records 146
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record David Napier Jameson

    Died 1888 in Sorell, Tasmania, aged 45. Will registered in Tasmania in 1888.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Andrew Jameson

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1844. Married 1844 in Hobart, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Fanny Jameson

    Arrived in Victoria in 1857 aboard the Herald of the Morning, aged 22; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 628 records for Jameson in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada105 records

105 records of the Jameson name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 64
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 15
  • Other Canadian records 26
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Hector Jameson

    Killed in 1900 at the Reserve Mine, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Wm Jameson

    Came to Ontario in 1879 aboard the Manitoban, landing at Quebec, bound for Gravenhurst, Ontario; Scotch.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Etta Mary Jameson

    Buried in 1964 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 82.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 105 records for Jameson in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom42 records

42 records of the Jameson name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 23
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 8
  • Other British records 11
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record William Wilson Jameson

    Born 1885 at Perth. Served in the First World War. Named in the University of Aberdeen roll of service in the Great War, 1914-1919.

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Jameson

    Buried in 1810 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 19.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Thomas Jameson

    Will proved in 1913; of Liverpool, Lancaster.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)

Showing 3 of 42 records for Jameson in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

New Zealand30 records

30 records of the Jameson name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 28
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Reginald Leslie Jameson

    Died 1944, aged 65; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record E. Jameson

    New Zealand Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary H. Jameson

    Died 1928, aged 73; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 30 records for Jameson in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Netherlands19 records

19 records of the Jameson name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 12
  • Dutch population registers 4
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 3
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Mary Jameson

    Married in 1827 in 's-Gravenhage; of private means.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Laurence Jameson

    Married in 1753 in Rotterdam; born in Melbie in Shetland.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Marij Jameson

    Died 1870 in Rheden, aged 92.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 19 records for Jameson in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

France3 records

3 records of the Jameson name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Frederick George Jameson

    Born 1915 in Great Britain; died 2000 in the United Kingdom.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Anne Madeleine Jameson

    Born 1897 in Paris; died 1993 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 3 records for Jameson in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Other spellings of this name

The same name, spelled another way.

Spellings that H. B. Guppy (England and Wales, 1890) or the Registrar-General for Ireland (births index of 1890) counted as one name together with Jameson.

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Jameson.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Jameson is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Jameson volume
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