2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Joersz
A surname derived from the Dutch given name "Joris," meaning "farmer."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Joersz. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Joersz 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Joersz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Joersz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Joersz
The surname Joersz is believed to have originated in the former East Prussia region, which is now part of modern-day Poland and Russia. It likely emerged in the late 15th or early 16th century, as the area was undergoing a period of significant cultural and linguistic change.
Joersz is thought to be derived from the Old Prussian word "jurs" or "jurs", which translates to "sea" or "ocean". This suggests that the name may have initially identified individuals who lived near the Baltic Sea or were involved in maritime activities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Joersz can be found in a church register from the town of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia), dated 1568. The entry refers to a certain Hans Joersz, who was likely a local resident or landowner.
In the 17th century, the Joersz family appears to have gained prominence in the region, with several members holding positions of influence. Notable individuals from this period include Johann Joersz (1602-1678), a merchant and alderman in the city of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland), and Gertrude Joersz (1623-1694), who was recorded as the owner of a successful brewery in the town of Elbing (now Elbląg, Poland).
As the centuries progressed, the Joersz name spread beyond its East Prussian origins, with branches of the family establishing themselves in other parts of Europe and beyond. One notable figure was Wilhelm Joersz (1787-1858), a German philosopher and poet who was born in the town of Memel (now Klaipėda, Lithuania).
Another significant bearer of the Joersz name was Karl Joersz (1825-1892), a German-American entrepreneur and philanthropist who made his fortune in the brewing industry. After emigrating to the United States in the mid-19th century, he founded the Joersz Brewing Company in Milwaukee, which became one of the largest and most successful breweries in the city.
While the Joersz surname may have originated from a specific geographic region, it has since become more widely dispersed, with individuals bearing this name found in various parts of the world. However, its roots can be traced back to the rich cultural heritage of the former East Prussia, where it likely emerged as a marker of identity and connection to the Baltic Sea region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Joersz
Among Census respondents with the surname Joersz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Joersz 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 Joersz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Joersz
Joersz 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-4 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,418 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 318 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 13,418 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 318 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 Joersz 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 | #148,347 | #148,665 | -0.2% |
| Count | 111 | 111 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Joersz bearers went from 111 to 111 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 318 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #148,665.
FAQ
Joersz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Joersz?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Joersz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Joersz?
Joersz ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Joersz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Joersz.
Has Joersz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Joersz went from 111 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Joersz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Joersz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Joersz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Joersz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (3.6%), Black (0.9%). 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 Joersz (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 Joersz mean?
A surname derived from the Dutch given name "Joris," meaning "farmer." 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 Joersz (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 are called Joersz?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Joersz on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.