This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of John,' from nick. Jack; v. Jakes. It seems probable that for a short period after Jack was becoming the nick, for John, robbing James of the distinction, Jakes with an s answered for Jacques or Jacobus, and Jake or Jack without an s for John.

John le Warner, or Jacke le Warner, Norfolk, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

John de Bondec, or Jakke de Bondec, Buckinghamshire, ibid.

Jacobus Amadur, or Jakes Amadur, Lincolnshire, ibid.

1753. Married — William Jack and Elizabeth Davison: St. George's Chapel, Mayfair.

1788. — John Tobias and Elizabeth Jacks: St. George, Hanover Square.

Now considered a variant of John, but more correctly of James, from French Jacques, pronounced 'zhak.' As a forename we have Jak Donaldson in Cowpar Grange, 1453 and Jak Richardson in 1469 (Cupor-Angus, I, p. 129,154). Wil. Jak was tenant of the mill of Kethek in 1473 (ibid., I, p. 178), and Duncan Jak appears as a charter witness in Dundee in 1480 (HP., II, p. 187). Gilbert Jak was a resident of Vddynston in 1498 (REG., 478—479), John Jak held a tenement in Glasgow before 1498 (ibid., p. 500), and Katherine Jak in Stirling was charged with assault in 1545 (SBR., p. 40). Richard Jak in Auld Roxburghe was beheaded for slaughter in 1502 (Trials, I, p. 27), and Robert Jack, merchant and burgess of Dundee was "hangit and quarterit for false coin called Hardheads whilk he had brought out of Flanders" in December, 1567 (Birrel, Diary). William Jak who was admitted burgess of Aberdeen in 1554 (NSCM., I, p. 64) may be the William Jak who was "admittit maister of Saint Thomas Hospitall" there in 1580 (CRA., p. 39), and possibly the Wilyem Jaik who was elected deacon of the kirk of Aberdeen in the same year (SCM., II, p. 54). Thomas Jack, who was master of the Grammar School of Glasgow before 1574, Latinized his name Jacchaeus. The ship of Andro Jaik of Aberdeen was lost in 1577 (SCM., II, p. 47). Peter Jak held a fen in Scone in 1586 (Scon, p. 232), and Jonet Jak is in record in Kyndrochat in 1589 (REB., II, 227). The surname was not uncommon in Aberdeen in the seventeenth century (Retours, Aberdeen, 303,304). compare Jacque.

JACK’S (Son), Jack’s Son v. Jack.

A nickname which has, like many others, become a surname. With respect to this appellation, it is curious that meaning, as it originally did, James, from the French Jacques, and Latin Jacobus, it should have come to be considered as a synonym of John. It was usually applied in a contemptuous way, as in Jackanapes, Jackpudding, Jack-a-dandy, Jack-at-a-pinch, Jack-in-office, &c.

The genitive form of Jack.

A corruption of John, which signifies God's grace.

The surname Jackson, meaning ‘son of Jack’, stems from the first name Jack, but it is difficult to know whether Jack is a derivative of John or of Jacques (French for James). Certainly most of the diminutive forms, Jacklin, Jackett, Jaggard and so on, are from James (which see).

There are many early references to Jack and its diminutives. One Andreas filius Jake appears in the 1195—97 Pipe Rolls for Cornwall, while a Jakelinus is recorded in Yorkshire in the Book of Fees dated 1219. The earliest reference to the name Jackson itself appears in the 1327 Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk, where one Adam Jackessone is listed.

Jacksons seem to be born fighters. John ‘Gentleman’ Jackson (1769—1845) was a famous barefisted pugilist who held the English championship for eight years, then retired in 1803 to coach Lord Byron, amongst others. Peter Jackson (1861— 1901), the first great black boxer, won both the Australian heavyweight title (1886) and the British Empire title (1892) while Henry Jackson is the real name of Henry Armstrong (b. 1912), the only man to have held three world boxing championships simultaneously: featherweight (1937), welterweight (1938) and lightweight (1938).

The renowned English test cricketer, Sir Stanley Jackson (1870—1947), played against Australia in the famous 1893 series, then went on to become Governor of Bengal as well as Chairman of the Conservative Party.

The 1901 Jacksonville, Florida fire destroyed a total of over 1700 buildings.

American President Andrew Jackson (1767—1845) originated the ubiquitous American slang expression ‘OK’. Jackson’s grammar and spelling were as rough as his frontier origins. Therefore he approved presidential papers with the notation ‘OK’, his way of abbreviating ‘Oll Korrect’.

The ‘Major Mite’, whose real name was William E. Jackson (1864—1900), was one of the world’s shortest dwarfs. He was only 27 in (70 cm) tall. On the other hand, another Jackson, Baby Flo (Mrs Flora Mae Jackson), weighed over 60 stone just before her death in 1965.

There are no Jackson-related towns or major geographic features in the United Kingdom. Canada’s Newfoundland has a town called Jackson’s Arm, New Zealand has a Jackson Head (as well as a town called Jacksons) and South Africa has a Jackson’s Drift. Australia has a town called simply Jackson, as do no fewer than 16 states of America where 30 towns and cities are name related, including the well-known Jacksonville, Florida (one of 9 Jacksonvilles). Mountains in Western Australia and the United States are called Jackson, as are bays in Canada and New Zealand.

With about 165,000 namesakes Jackson is the 24th most popular surname in England and Wales. (The name is not common enough throughout Scotland to be counted separately.) Jackson is notably popular in and around Leeds where an estimated one in about 215 families bears the name. In descending numerical order Sheffield, Teesside and Bradford are other Jackson strongholds. Around the world Jacksons are most common in Auckland (one in 592 families), Wellington (one in 607) and Sydney (one in 701). The United States has more Jacksons than the entire combined populations of Bristol and Southampton-an estimated total of just over 661,000 makes this their 17th most popular surname.