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

Joest, 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 Joest surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Joest in America

Joest is the 82908th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Joest surname appeared 227 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 Joest.

We can also compare 2010 data for Joest 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 Joest

The surname JOEST has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the 14th century. The name is derived from the Low German word "jöde," which means a Jew or a person of Jewish descent. It is believed to have been initially used as a descriptive surname for individuals or families of Jewish heritage.

During the Middle Ages, the JOEST surname was found in various regions of Germany, including Westphalia, Rhineland, and parts of modern-day North Rhine-Westphalia. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 14th and 15th centuries in official documents, church records, and local chronicles.

One of the earliest known bearers of the JOEST surname was Johannes Joest, a merchant and landowner who lived in the city of Cologne in the late 15th century. His name appears in several property records and legal documents from that period.

In the 16th century, the JOEST name gained prominence through the work of the renowned painter and engraver Jan Joest van Kalkar, also known as Jan Joest of Calcar. Born around 1460 in the town of Kalkar, near the Dutch border, he is considered one of the most influential artists of the Renaissance period in the Lower Rhine region.

Another notable figure with the JOEST surname was Johann Joseph Joest, a German Catholic theologian and professor who lived from 1750 to 1825. He taught at the University of Münster and was known for his contributions to the field of moral theology and canon law.

In the 19th century, the JOEST family played a significant role in the industrialization of Germany. August Joest (1809-1886) was a successful entrepreneur and the founder of the Joest Maschinenfabrik, a company that manufactured steam engines and industrial machinery in Dortmund.

During the 20th century, several individuals with the JOEST surname made their mark in various fields. Ernst Joest (1892-1968) was a German physician and parasitologist who made important contributions to the study of tropical diseases, while Hans-Joachim Joest (1928-2013) was a prominent German author and screenwriter known for his work in television and film.

While the JOEST surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and various historical events. However, its origins can be traced back to the Low German word "jöde" and its initial association with individuals or families of Jewish descent in medieval Germany.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Joest

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

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

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

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