2000
#3,891
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,382
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.11
Uncommon Last name
Joe
A surname of Aramaic origin meaning "Jehovah increases" or "the Lord will increase."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,614 Americans carry the last name Joe. That puts it at #3,445 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,512 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Joe 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Joe with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 29,512
Census rank
#3,445
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,128 bearers of the surname Joe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3445th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Joe, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 28.9%. The next largest groups are Black (23.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (21.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Joe
The surname "Joe" is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the male given name "Joe," which is a shortened form of the name "Joseph." The name "Joseph" has its roots in the Hebrew name "Yosef," meaning "he will add" or "he will increase."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Joe" can be found in the Domesday Book, a historical record commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book mentions a landowner named "Ioe" in the county of Sussex, which is likely an early spelling variation of the surname.
During the Middle Ages, surnames were often derived from personal names, occupations, or descriptive elements. The surname "Joe" likely emerged as a patronymic surname, meaning it was originally used to identify someone as the son of a person named "Joe" or "Joseph."
In the 14th century, records show a "William Joe" living in Yorkshire, and in the 15th century, a "John Joe" is documented in the Lancashire county records. These early examples demonstrate the gradual adoption of the surname by families across different regions of England.
Notable individuals who bore the surname "Joe" throughout history include:
1. Samuel Joe (1817-1891), an English architect known for his work on several churches and public buildings in London.
2. Mary Joe (1856-1932), a British author and poet who wrote under the pen name "Mary Josephine."
3. William Joe (1892-1971), a Scottish football player who played as a forward for several clubs, including Rangers and Celtic.
4. Thomas Joe (1927-2003), an American artist and painter renowned for his abstract expressionist works.
5. Emily Joe (born 1972), a Canadian author and journalist who has written extensively on indigenous issues and culture.
The surname "Joe" has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as "Joe's Hill" in Warwickshire and "Joe's Wood" in Nottinghamshire. These place names may have derived from individuals bearing the surname or could have influenced the adoption of the surname in those regions.
Overall, the surname "Joe" has a long and rich history, tracing its origins back to the medieval period in England. Its connection to the personal name "Joseph" and its evolution as a patronymic surname have contributed to its enduring presence across generations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Joe
Among Census respondents with the surname Joe, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 28.9%. The next largest groups are Black (23.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (21.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Joe 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 Joe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- American Indian and Alaska Native28.9% · 2,926
- Black or African American23.5% · 2,384
- Asian and Pacific Islander21.8% · 2,206
- White15.9% · 1,606
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 566
- Two or more races4.3% · 440
Timeline
Historical Census data for Joe
Joe appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,280
+898 bearers (+10.7%)
Per 100,000 3.15
Rank movement Up 72 places
2020
#3,445
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,128
+848 bearers (+9.1%)
Per 100,000 3.39
Rank movement Up 374 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,891 | 8,382 | 3.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,819 | 9,280 | 3.15 | +898 bearers (+10.7%) | Up 72 places |
| 2020 | #3,445 | 10,128 | 3.39 | +848 bearers (+9.1%) | Up 374 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 Joe 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 | #3,819 | #3,445 | 9.8% |
| Count | 9,280 | 10,128 | 9.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.15 | 3.39 | 7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Joe bearers went from 9,280 to 10,128 (+9.1% change). The surname moved up 374 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,819 to #3,445.
FAQ
Joe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Joe?
Name Census estimates that about 11,614 living Americans carry the surname Joe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,512 residents.
How common is Joe?
Joe ranks #3,445 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.39 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,128 people with the surname Joe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,614), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.39 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Joe.
Has Joe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Joe went from 9,280 recorded bearers to 10,128. That is an increase of 848 (+9.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,819 to #3,445.
What does the Census say about the background of Joe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Joe, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 28.9%. The next largest groups are Black (23.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (21.8%). 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?
American Indian/Alaska Native is the largest self-reported group for the surname Joe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 28.9% (2,926 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Joe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are American Indian/Alaska Native (28.9%), Black (23.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (21.8%). 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 Joe (2000, 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 Joe mean?
A surname of Aramaic origin meaning "Jehovah increases" or "the Lord will increase." 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 Joe (3.39 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 Joe?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.