The 2010 U.S. Census recorded 5,721 black Americans with Jarrett as their last name. That represented 26% of the total of 21,821 entries.
This article tracks their numbers in the census since the Civil War. We also look at historic African American people named Jarrett.
We end with a review of early records of black military service in the United States.
After The Civil War
The 1870 census was the first survey after the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation. In 1850 and 1860, only free African Americans were recorded in the census. The many enslaved were omitted.
From 1870 onwards, all black Americans were included.
323 people named Jarrett were recorded in the 1870 census as black and 29 as mixed.
There was a total of 2,021 people with the name.
Jarrett In The 1900 And 1940 Census
The mixed category was dropped from the census in 1900, so we just need to look at the black numbers this time.
The 1900 census recorded 630 people with the last name Jarrett as black within a total of 4,659 that year.
By the way, the mixed category returned in the 1910 and 1920 censuses. It was dropped again in 1930, but replaced with extra categories for colored and non-white in a way that seems confusing now.
This changed again in 1940 and we can simply focus on one black category.
The 1940 census recorded 1,354 people named Jarrett as black within a total of 9,412.
Historic Black Figures With The Jarrett Surname
Here are some notable African Americans in history with Jarrett as their last name.
Valerie Jarrett
- Born: 1956
- From: Shiraz, Iran
Valerie Jarrett was born in Iran to African American parents. She grew up in Chicago and attended Stanford University. She then studied law at the University of Michigan.
When Jarrett was working for Mayor Richard Daley in Chicago, she interviewed Michelle Robinson for a role with Daley. Michelle was engaged to a young Barack Obama who encouraged her to take the position.
Jarrett became a close friend and mentor to the Obamas. President Obama appointed her as one of his senior advisors when he was in office.
Vernon Jarrett
- Born: 1918
- From: Paris, Tennessee
- Died: 2004
Vernon Jarrett’s two parent were schoolteachers. He graduated from Knoxville College in 1941. He moved to Chicago four years later to pursue a career in journalism.
His early career was writing for the Chicago Defender and the Associated Negro Press. Jarrett wrote for the Chicago Tribune through the 1970s.
He also produced and hosted broadcasts for ABC-TV (a Chicago station). He later worked for the Chicago Sun-Tribune.
He was a co-founder of the National Association of Black Journalists. Jarrett was inducted into their Hall Of Fame in 2008. Other founders included Pluria Marshall, Vince Sanders, and Chuck Stone.
Here are just a few other notable black journalists in the Hall Of Fame:
Jarrett In Black Military Records
Military records are a rich resource of for family history research. Here are examples of the Jarrett surname from several different military services.
Buffalo Soldiers
Five regiments for black soldiers were formed during the Civil War. They were known as the Buffalo Soldiers.
Their records are part of the national archive of military monthly returns. The information includes the year and place of birth, where they enlisted, their occupation, and their height.
One of the earliest military entries for Jarrett was in February 1899. William Jarrett was a Private in the Tenth Cavalry. He was stationed in February 1899 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
If you are researching military ancestors, there is a free index of these records on Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org.
You have to create an account on either website, but you do not need to pay for the Buffalo Soldiers archive.