Jones History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  Wales 
  Ireland 


While the ancestors of the bearers of Jones came from ancient Welsh-Celtic origins, the name itself has its roots in Christianity. This surname comes from the personal name John, which is derived from the Latin Johannes, meaning "Yahweh is gracious."

This name has always been common in Britain, rivaling William in popularity by the beginning of the 14th century. The feminine form Joan, or Johanna in Latin, was also popular, and the surname Jones may be derived from either the male or female name. "Though its origins are in England, the surname is predominately held by people of Welsh extraction due to the overwhelming use of patronymics in Wales from the 16th century and the prevalence of the name John at that time." 1 "Next to John Smith, John Jones is probably the most common combination of names in Britain." 2

Early Origins of the Jones family

The surname Jones was first found in Denbighshire (Welsh: Sir Ddinbych), a historic county in Northeast Wales created by the Laws in Wales Act 1536, where their ancient family seat was at Llanerchrugog.

The name Jones, currently one of the most prolific in the world, descends from three main sources: from Gwaithvoed, Lord Cardigan, Chief of one of the 15 noble tribes of North Wales in 921; from Bleddyn Ap Cynfyn, King of Powys; and from Dyffryn Clwyd, a Chieftain of Denbighland.

All three lines merged in Denbighshire about the 11th century and it is not known which of the three can be considered the main branch of the family. Later some of the family ventured into England. "[The parish of Astall in Oxfordshire] was formerly the residence of Sir Richard Jones, one of the judges of the court of common pleas in the reign of Charles I.; and there are still some remains of the ancient manor-house near the church, which are now converted into a farmhouse." 3

"Llanarth Court [in Monmouthshire], the admired seat of John Jones, Esq., is a handsome and spacious mansion, the front ornamented with an elegant portico resembling that of the temple of Pæstum." 3

Early History of the Jones family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jones research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1550, 1578, 1589, 1605, 1610, 1618, 1619, 1628, 1637, 1638, 1640, 1643, 1645, 1649, 1650, 1656, 1658, 1660, 1669, 1673, 1674, 1681, 1697, 1712 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Jones History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jones Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Jones has occasionally been spelled Jones, Jonas, Jone, Joness and others.

Early Notables of the Jones family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was

Jones World Ranking

In the United States, the name Jones is the 4th most popular surname with an estimated 1,544,427 people with that name. 4 However, in Canada, the name Jones is ranked the 14th most popular surname with an estimated 68,210 people with that name. 5 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Jones is the 478th popular surname. 6 Newfoundland, Canada ranks Jones as 63rd with 413 people. 7 France ranks Jones as 3,371st with 2,000 - 2,500 people. 8 Australia ranks Jones as 2nd with 111,307 people. 9 New Zealand ranks Jones as 3rd with 8,563 people. 10 The United Kingdom ranks Jones as 2nd with 437,227 people. 11 South Africa ranks Jones as 263rd with 25,988 people. 12

Migration of the Jones family to Ireland

Some of the Jones family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 143 words (10 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Jones migration to the United States +

In the 1800s and 1900s, many Welsh families left for North America, in search of land, work, and freedom. Those who made the trip successfully helped contribute to the growth of industry, commerce, and the cultural heritage of both Canada and the United States. In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Jones

Jones Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Jones Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Jones Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Jones Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Jones migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Jones Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Jones Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Jones migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Jones Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
Jones Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Jones migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Jones Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
Jones Settlers in New Zealand in the 20th Century

Jones migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 20
Jones Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Jones (post 1700) +


The Jones Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Heb dduw, heb ddim
Motto Translation: Without God, without anything.


Suggested Readings for the name Jones +
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