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

João, 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 João surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of João in America

João is the 73464th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The João surname appeared 264 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 João.

We can also compare 2010 data for João 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 João

The surname JOAO originated in Portugal, deriving from the Portuguese equivalent of the given name John. Its roots can be traced back to the late 12th century, when it first appeared as a surname among the noble families of the region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the JOAO surname can be found in the Livro Velho de Linhagens, a Portuguese genealogical record compiled in the 13th century. This document mentions several members of the JOAO family, indicating their prominence among the landed gentry of the time.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the JOAO name was closely associated with the various regions of Portugal, particularly the northern provinces. It was also found in some areas of Galicia, a neighboring region of Spain with close cultural ties to Portugal.

The name's popularity grew during the Age of Discovery, when many Portuguese explorers and navigators bearing the JOAO surname embarked on voyages of exploration and colonization. This included João Gonçalves Zarco, born in 1390, who is credited with the discovery of the Madeira Islands in 1419.

In the 16th century, the JOAO name gained further prominence with the reign of King João III of Portugal, who ruled from 1521 to 1557. His patronage of the arts and sciences attracted many scholars and artists, some of whom bore the JOAO surname.

Another notable figure in Portuguese history was João de Barros, born in 1496, who served as a prominent historian and author. His work, Décadas da Ásia, chronicled the Portuguese expansion in Asia and remains a valuable historical source.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the JOAO surname spread throughout the Portuguese colonial empire, with many JOAO families settling in Brazil, Africa, and Asia. One such figure was João Fernandes Vieira, born in 1613, who played a pivotal role in the insurrection against Dutch rule in Brazil.

In the 19th century, the JOAO name continued to be associated with notable figures in Portuguese literature and politics. This included João Baptista da Silva Leitão de Almeida Garrett, born in 1799, a celebrated poet and playwright who helped revive the interest in Portuguese literary traditions.

Throughout its long history, the JOAO surname has been a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Portugal, reflecting the nation's exploration, conquest, and intellectual achievements across centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name João

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

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 João 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 João 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 João was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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