This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of John,' from the nick. Jack or Jake, but when found as a Christian name Jakes stood for Jaques = James. It is curious to notice that Jakes has been avoided for some generations, Jacks or Jacques being the popular forms. The local jakes (a house of office) has caused the objection.

Agnes Jakkes, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Jake Heriet, ibid.

Robert fil. lake, ibid.

Richard Jakes, Somerset, 1 Edward III: Kirby's Quest.

Ricardus Jakes, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Robertus Jakes, 1379: ibid.

Robertus Jak, 1379: ibid.

Johanna Jacke-wyfi 1379: Poll Tax of

Johannes Jake, 1379: ibid.

1618. Married — William Carter and Abigail Jaques: St Dionis Backchureh.

1636. Baptised — John, s. Thomas Jakes: St. Peter, Cornhill.

= Jacks, q.v.

Sir Roger Jaques, who was lord mayor of York in 1639, was one of a family of prosperous merchants of Elvington, York, who flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries (D.).

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.

The surname James derived directly from the first name. This in its turn is a form of the original Hebrew name Jacob, and first became popular through the two Apostles. The Hebrew Jacob comes from the word ‘aqob’ which means ‘supplanter’ or ‘usurper’ (all too appropriate in the case of Jacob, the son of Isaac-one of the earliest Jacobs-who deprived his brother Esau of his birthright).

The original Jacob became Latinised to Jacobus, and from this we get the French first name Jacques, as well as the identical Welsh and Spanish form Iago. The Latinised form later became Jacomus, and it is from this root that we get our name James. It is also the source of the Spanish form Jayme (Jaime), the Italian Giacomo, and the Irish version Seamus (pronounced Shaymus).

The name, in all its varied forms, began to gain popularity all over Europe during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. It has been suggested that the name came to prominence around this time as a result of its having been brought back by the Crusaders, and this may have been a contributory factor.

The surname James has several variations, the most widespread being Jameson, Jamison, and Jamieson (which almost certainly derives from the Scottish abbreviation ‘Jamie’).

References to the name James start occurring in the English records around the turn of the twelfth century. One of the earliest of these is a certain Jam de Sancto Hylario who appears in the Early Charters for Northamptonshire for 1173-6.

The surname James is popular all over England (despite the closely related Jamisons being found almost exclusively in the Scottish lowland region). The greatest concentrations of James are now found in the West Country.

The ‘King James Version’ is another name given to the Authorised Version of the Bible which was ordered by King James I. The resonant style of this classic translation remains one of the finest examples of our language.

Jakes was a popular Elizabethan slang word for a lavatory-which accounts for the word’s frequent sly appearances in Shakespeare’s comedies. The word survives in our language today as ‘the Jacks’, a slang expression with the same meaning.

‘BBC English’ was created by the British phonetician, Arthur Lloyd James (1884—1943), who was the arbiter on all matters of pronunciation during the Corporation’s formative years.

Jesse James (1847—82) and his brother Frank were legendary Wild West desperadoes and bank robbers. Together they gunned down at least ten men.

Jameson’s Raid (29 December 1895) was Doctor Leander Starr Jameson’s ill-fated attempt to overthrow the Transvaal Republic by fomenting an uprising in Johannesburg. Mounted with Cecil Rhodes’ backing, Jameson and his fellow soldiers of fortune were surrounded and surrendered abjectly before they ever reached the city.

The United Kingdom has a Jameston and 3 Jamestowns. Canada and South Africa also have Jamestowns while 10 states of America have towns and cities bearing this name. In all, 18 US locations are name related. The name is geographically common around the world, including South Africa’s Jameson Park.

With about 127,000 namesakes James is the 40th most popular surname in England and Wales. (The name is not common enough throughout Scotland to be counted separately.) James is notably popular in and around Cardiff where an estimated one in about 115 families bears the name. In descending numerical order Bristol, Birmingham and Coventry are other James strongholds. Around the world James’s are most common in Sydney (one in 709 families), Melbourne (one in 769) and Wellington (one in 893). The United States has more James’s than the entire population of Southampton-an estimated total of just over 227,000 makes this their 89th most popular surname.