2010
#85,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 220
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Joann
A feminine form of the name John, derived from the Hebrew "Yochanan" meaning "God is gracious."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Joann. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Joann surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Joann in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Joann, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Black (13.9%) and Hispanic (7.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Joann
The surname "JOANN" is believed to have originated in France, with its earliest known roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is a variant of the name "Jeanne," which itself derives from the Hebrew name "Yohanan" (meaning "God is gracious").
During the Middle Ages, the name "Jeanne" became widely popular in France, particularly among the aristocracy. As the name spread across different regions, various spelling variations emerged, including "Joann" and "Joane." These variants were likely influenced by local dialects and pronunciation patterns.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "JOANN" can be found in the Cartulaire de Notre-Dame de Paris, a collection of medieval charters and documents related to the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris. This manuscript, dating back to the 13th century, includes references to individuals bearing the name.
In the 14th century, the surname "JOANN" appeared in the Livre de la Taille, a tax record from the city of Paris. This document provides valuable insight into the distribution of surnames during that time period and suggests that the name was well-established among the urban population.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname "JOANN." One such figure was Joan of Arc (1412-1431), the famous French military leader and national heroine, whose name was often spelled as "Joann" in contemporary records. Another notable bearer of the name was Jeanne d'Albret (1528-1572), the Queen of Navarre and a key figure in the French Protestant Reformation.
In England, the surname "JOANN" can be traced back to the 16th century, likely introduced by French immigrants or through trade and cultural exchange. One prominent individual with this surname was John Joann (c. 1570-1615), an English playwright and actor who was a contemporary of William Shakespeare.
During the 17th century, the surname "JOANN" gained a foothold in other parts of Europe, including Germany and the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, the name was often spelled as "Joannes" or "Joannis," reflecting the Dutch pronunciation.
As the surname spread across different regions and cultures, it also took on various forms and spellings, such as "Johanson," "Johansson," and "Johannessen," reflecting the influence of local languages and traditions.
Throughout the centuries, the surname "JOANN" has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, including artists, writers, musicians, and political figures. Some notable bearers of the name include Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780-1867), a renowned French Neoclassical painter, and Jeanne Calment (1875-1997), a French woman who held the record for the longest confirmed human lifespan.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Joann
Among Census respondents with the surname Joann, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Black (13.9%) and Hispanic (7.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Joann bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Joann surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.7% · 87
- Black or African American13.9% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Joann
Joann appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-105 bearers (-47.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 60,708 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #85,049 | 220 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -105 bearers (-47.7%) | Down 60,708 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Joann surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #85,049 | #145,757 | -71.4% |
| Count | 220 | 115 | -47.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.04 | -45.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Joann bearers went from 220 to 115 (-47.7% change). The surname moved down 60,708 positions in the national ranking, going from #85,049 to #145,757.
FAQ
Joann surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Joann?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Joann. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Joann?
Joann ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Joann. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Joann.
Has Joann become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Joann went from 220 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 105 (-47.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #85,049 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Joann?
Among Census respondents with the surname Joann, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Black (13.9%) and Hispanic (7.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Joann in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.7% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Joann appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.7%), Black (13.9%), Hispanic (7.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Joann (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Joann mean?
A feminine form of the name John, derived from the Hebrew "Yochanan" meaning "God is gracious." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Joann (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Joann?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.