Find out how popular the last name Joa is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Joa.

Joa, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Joa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Joa in America

Joa is the 43584th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Joa surname appeared 495 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Joa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Joa to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Joa

The surname Joa has its origins in Portugal, where it emerged during the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "iocus," which means "joke" or "jest." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone with a humorous or jocular personality.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Joa surname can be found in the Livro de Linhagens (Book of Lineages), a medieval Portuguese genealogical document from the 13th century. It mentions a certain Joao Joa, a nobleman from the region of Minho in northern Portugal.

In the 14th century, there are records of a Martim Joa, a soldier who fought in the Portuguese conquest of Ceuta in North Africa in 1415. This military campaign was a significant event in Portuguese history and marked the beginning of their exploration and expansion into the wider world.

During the 15th century, the Joa surname also appeared in the neighboring region of Galicia, in present-day Spain. This could be attributed to the close cultural and linguistic ties between northern Portugal and Galicia at that time.

One notable individual with the Joa surname was Diogo Joa, a Portuguese explorer who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his famous voyage to India in 1497-1499. Diogo Joa played a crucial role in this expedition, which opened up new trade routes and marked the beginning of the Portuguese Empire in the Indian Ocean.

Another significant figure was Pedro Joa, a poet and playwright from the 16th century who was part of the Renaissance literary movement in Portugal. His work helped to shape the development of Portuguese literature and drama during this period.

In the 17th century, there are records of a family named Joa residing in the town of Viana do Castelo, located in the northern region of Portugal. One member of this family, Manuel Joa, became a prominent merchant and trader, establishing trade connections with other parts of Europe and the Portuguese colonies.

As the centuries passed, the Joa surname continued to spread across Portugal and its overseas territories, with various branches of the family establishing themselves in different regions and contributing to the cultural, economic, and social fabric of these areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Joa

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Joa.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Joa was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Joa has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Joa was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Joa, please contact us.

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