Jaynes
A surname that likely began as a patronymic form of Jayne, itself ultimately from John.
The #5,989 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 53,779 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Jaynes is most likely a variant spelling built on Jayne or Jane, names that in medieval English often developed from Jan, a short form of John. The older sense is therefore patronymic: essentially "son of John" or "descendant of John." The final -s fits a common English surname pattern marking family descent or association.
History
Bardsley treats Jaynes as part of the Jane/Jayne group and connects that group with Jan, especially in northern English usage. The surname appears in English records by the early 19th century in the excerpt, and modern bearers are most common in the United States today. Like many -s surnames, it likely became fixed as a hereditary family name from an earlier nickname or patronymic form.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same medieval naming stream can produce several different surnames, so Jaynes is closely related to forms like Jayne and Janes rather than to the given name James.
From the historical record
“Jane, Jayne, Jane8» Janson, Jannings, Jankin, Jaine, Jaynes, Jans, Janae. — Bapt. ' the son of Jan,* i.e. John. Hence also Jannings for Jennings, or Jankin for Jenkin. In the North there was a strong tendency to- wards Jan. Johnson is entered”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)