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Jones Family History
Jones Genealogy & Family TreeJones is a Welsh surname first found in Denbigshire in Northern Wales, where the family held a seat in Llanerchrugog. It refers to the given name “John,” which comes from the Latin Johannes and means “Jehovah has favored” or “gift of God.” The given name John was very popular amongst Christians in particular due to figures John the Beloved and John the Baptist. In Welsh, adding an “s” to the end of the name means “son of”—thus, Jones means “son of John.” One of the earliest recordings of the name was Matilda Jones in 1273. It remains the most popular name in Wales, is the second most popular in England, and is the fifth most common in the United States. It is also the second most common surname for African Americans due to emancipated slaves adopting the name in honor of abolitionist John Brown. Roots for this name can also be found in England and Ireland. The family motto is Heb dduw, heb ddim, meaning “Without God, without anything.”
The name is the origin of the phrase “Keeping up with the Joneses,” meaning comparing yourself to your wealthy neighbors. Other spellings include “Jonas,” “Jone,” and “Joness.” Notable people with the surname include American actor James Earl Jones (Star Wars, Field of Dreams, The Sandlot, The Lion King), American musician and producer Quincey Jones, American Jazz drummer Jonathan David Samuel “Jo” Jones, Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones (The Mask of Zorro, Chicago, America’s Sweethearts), American actress January Jones (Mad Men, X-Men: First Class), American actress Shirley Jones (Oklahoma!, Carousel, The Partridge Family), American actor Tommy Lee Jones (Space Cowboys, The Fugitive, Men In Black), and British musician David Jones (better known as David Bowie). The first Jones to come to America was Chadwallader Jones in Virginia in 1623.
Jones Birth Records
- Name Birth Date Death Date Location
- Averilla Jones -- --, 1614 December 0, 1657 Virginia
- Ann Jewel Jones -- --, 1905 May 19, 1990 Georgia
- Remus Elwood Jones -- --, 1934 January 9, 2002
- Mary Jones -- --, 1628 March 14, 1695 New Hampshire
- Rowland John Jones -- --, 1831 May 31, 1878
Jones Death Records
- Name Birth Date Death Date Location
- William Jones -- --, 1764 December 0, 1851 Virginia
- Frederick Charles Henry Jones -- --, 1888 September 15, 1957 Kansas
- Ellen Jones -- --, 1860 December 0, 1897
- Nancy Jones -- --, 1812 December 0, 1889 South Carolina
- Elizabeth Jones -- --, 1865 December 0, 1930
