Show ContentsJayne History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Jayne surname is a patronymic name created from the personal name Jan, which was a Middle English variant of the name John, or as "son of Jan." [1]

Early Origins of the Jayne family

The surname Jayne was first found in Cornwall, where a record in the Ministers' Accounts of the Earldom of Cornwall shows a Simon Ianes in 1297. A John Janne was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Cornwall in 1327, and a William Jan was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in that same year. [2]

Kirby's Quest listed Robert Janes and William Janes, both in Somerset temp. 1 Edward III. [3]

Jane or Johanna (d. 1445), Queen of Scotland, "was the daughter of John Beaufort, earl of Somerset. Her mother was Margaret, daughter of Thomas Holland, second earl of Kent, and niece of Richard II, who became after her first husband's death Duchess of Clarence. James I, King of Scotland, when a prisoner at Windsor, saw her walking in the garden of the castle, fell in love at first sight, and wrote the story of his love in the 'Kingis Quair.' The marriage, which suited the English rulers, and was made one of the conditions of his release, took place at St. Mary Overy Church in Southwark on 12 Feb. 1424. " [4]

Early History of the Jayne family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jayne research. Another 156 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1438, 1449, 1480, 1499, 1500, 1510, 1600, 1611, 1620, 1621, 1625, 1640, 1643, 1645, 1660, 1662, 1680, 1707 and 1716 are included under the topic Early Jayne History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jayne Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Jayne has been recorded under many different variations, including Janes, Jans, J'Anes, Jeanne, Jeynes, Jayne, Jane and many more.

Early Notables of the Jayne family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas Jane (Jan) (died 1500), English clergyman, Archdeacon of Essex (1480), Bishop of Norwich (1499-1500.) He was born at Milton Abbas, Dorsetshire, and educated at Winchester School, where he became a scholar in 1449. [4]Joseph Jane (fl. 1600-1660), controversialist, was sprung of an old family which had long been influential in Liskeard, Cornwall. His father was mayor there in 1621, and in 1625 Jane represented the borough in parliament. In 1625 he was himself mayor of Liskeard, and...
Another 86 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Jayne Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jayne Ranking

In the United States, the name Jayne is the 11,518th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [5]


United States Jayne migration to the United States +

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Jaynes were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Jayne Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Jayne, who landed in Long Island in 1676 [6]
Jayne Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Aaron Jayne, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1773 [6]
Jayne Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • J Jayne, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1822 [6]

Contemporary Notables of the name Jayne (post 1700) +

  • William Jayne (1826-1916), American politician, Mayor of Springfield, Illinois, 1859-61; Member of Illinois State Senate, 1860-61; Governor of Dakota Territory, 1861-63; Delegate to U.S. Congress from Dakota Territory, 1863-64 [7]
  • Wilfred H. Jayne Jr., American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Jersey, 1932; Member of New Jersey State Senate from Ocean County, 1932-33 [7]
  • Samuel Jayne Jr., American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Yates County, 1851 [7]
  • Joey Jayne, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Montana State Senate 8th District, 2010 [7]
  • James A. Jayne, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Cortland County, 1926 [7]
  • Ira Waite Jayne (b. 1882), American Republican politician, Circuit Judge in Michigan 3rd Circuit, 1919-56; Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1928; Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1928 [7]
  • Henry La Barre Jayne, American politician, Candidate for Pennsylvania State Senate 2nd District, 1910 [7]
  • Edward R. Jayne, American Democratic Party politician, Chair of Adair County Democratic Party, 1949 [7]
  • Edward M. Jayne, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Missouri 1st District, 1944 [7]
  • Melanie Jayne Lynskey (b. 1977), New Zealand multiple award winning and nominated actress, known for Two and a Half Men (2003-2015), Togetherness (2015), Heavenly Creatures (1994) and Up in the Air (2009) and Yellowjackets (2021-)


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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