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Jin Family History

Jin Name Meaning

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 金 meaning ‘gold’ in Chinese: (i) from Jin Tian (金天) title of the legendary king Shao Hao (c. 26th century BC) the son of the legendary Huang Di the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c. 27th century BC). Some of his descendants inherited 金 part of his title as their surname. (ii) from Jin Midi (金日磾) (134–86 BC) a prince of King Xiu Tu of the Huns who was captured as a child and brought up at the Han imperial court. He became an official highly regarded by Emperor Wu of Han (156–87 BC) and was appointed as master of the imperial stables. He made golden statues of horses to worship Heaven and because of this was given the surname Jin 金 (meaning ‘gold’) by the emperor. (iii) for some families the surname is traced back to the Liu (劉 see Lau) family living in the state of Wu Yue (907–978 AD located in present-day Zhejiang Jiangsu and Fujian provinces) who changed their original surname 劉 to 金 because the former was pronounced the same as the personal name of the emperor Qian Liu (founder of the Wuyue Kingdom 852–932 AD) and it was taboo in ancient China to bear a name that was borne by the emperor. (iv) for some families the surname is traced back to the minority ethnic groups of Qiangzu and Xinluo in northern China during the Southern and Northern dynasties (420–589 AD). Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 靳 meaning ‘stingy’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from the placename Jin (靳) the name of a fief (located in Ningxiang in Hunan province) granted to Jin Shang (靳尚) (died 311 BC) a noble official in the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (ii) for some families the surname can be traced back to the Huns in northern China recorded in ancient Chinese history books. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 晉 meaning ‘enter’ or ‘promote’ in ancient Chinese: from Jin (晉) the name of a state (located mainly in present-day Shanxi province) originally granted to Tang Shu Yu (Shu Yu of Tang) the third son of King Wu of Zhou (c. 1087–1043 BC). In 403 BC the state was partitioned into three new states by Marquis Wen of Wei (died 396 BC) Marquis Jing of Han (died 400 BC) and Marquis Lie of Zhao (died 400 BC). Descendants of the Duke Jing of Jin (possibly died 349 BC) the last ruler of the state of Jin inherited 晉 the name of the original state as their surname. Chinese: Hokkien or Taiwanese Romanization of the surname 甄 see Zhen . Korean: variant of Jin Japanese: written 陣 ‘ranks’ or ‘battle array’. It is not common in Japan.

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


Similar surnames: Ji, Yin, Jing, Qin, Lin, Qi, Jia, Xin, Jiao, Min

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Where is the Jin family from?

You can see how Jin families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Jin family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Jin families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 4 Jin families living in Oxfordshire. This was about 29% of all the recorded Jin's in United Kingdom. Oxfordshire had the highest population of Jin families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Jin surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Jin ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Laundryman was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Jin. 36% of Jin men worked as a Laundryman. .

View Census Data for Jin | 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.

Canada shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Laundryman
    36%
  • Cook
    30%
  • Laborer
    18%
  • Labourer
    18%
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What Jin family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Jin. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Jin census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Jin. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 448 military records available for the last name Jin. For the veterans among your Jin ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Jin lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Jin life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 1981. The average life expectancy for Jin in 1951 was 42, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Jin

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