2000
#2,134
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,595
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.78
Uncommon Last name
Joiner
An occupational surname referring to a carpenter or woodworker who specializes in constructing furniture or wooden fittings.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,007 Americans carry the last name Joiner. That puts it at #2,253 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 19,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Joiner 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 Joiner with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
18K
1 in 19,035
Census rank
#2,253
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,703 bearers of the surname Joiner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2253rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Joiner, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.0%. The next largest groups are Black (30.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Joiner
The surname JOINER is an English occupational surname that originated in the Middle Ages. It was derived from the Old French word 'joigneor', meaning a skilled woodworker who assembled and joined various components to construct items such as furniture, doors, and window frames.
The earliest recorded examples of the JOINER surname can be traced back to the 13th century in English parish records and tax rolls. One notable early bearer of the name was William le Joynour, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, England, in 1275.
During the medieval period, joiners were highly skilled craftsmen who played a crucial role in the construction of buildings, ships, and various wooden structures. Their work was essential in the development of towns and cities, and they were often members of respected guilds or trade organizations.
In the 16th century, the JOINER surname appeared in historical records such as the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1524, which listed Thomas Joyner from Worcestershire, England. The variant spelling 'Joyner' was also common during this time, reflecting the evolution of the English language.
One prominent figure with the JOINER surname was Robert Joiner (1586-1639), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Heytesbury, Wiltshire, in the early 17th century. Another notable bearer was William Joiner (1675-1753), an English clockmaker and watchmaker from London who was renowned for his exceptional craftsmanship.
In the 18th century, the JOINER surname gained recognition through individuals like Samuel Joiner (1709-1785), an English Baptist minister and theologian, and John Joiner (1753-1824), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London.
As the industrial revolution took hold in the 19th century, the role of joiners evolved, and many transitioned into working in factories or specializing in specific areas of woodworking, such as cabinet making or furniture production. Nonetheless, the JOINER surname remained a testament to the rich history and significance of this skilled trade.
Throughout history, the JOINER surname has been carried by numerous individuals, reflecting its widespread presence across various regions of England and its enduring connection to the craft of woodworking and construction.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Joiner
Among Census respondents with the surname Joiner, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.0%. The next largest groups are Black (30.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Joiner 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 Joiner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.0% · 9,738
- Black or African American30.1% · 4,728
- Two or more races3.7% · 587
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 545
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 55
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 50
Timeline
Historical Census data for Joiner
Joiner 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
#2,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,349
+754 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 5.54
Rank movement Down 94 places
2020
#2,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,703
-646 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 5.25
Rank movement Down 25 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,134 | 15,595 | 5.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,228 | 16,349 | 5.54 | +754 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 94 places |
| 2020 | #2,253 | 15,703 | 5.25 | -646 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 25 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 Joiner 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 | #2,228 | #2,253 | -1.1% |
| Count | 16,349 | 15,703 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 5.54 | 5.25 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Joiner bearers went from 16,349 to 15,703 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 25 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,228 to #2,253.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Joiner
FAQ
Joiner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Joiner?
Name Census estimates that about 18,007 living Americans carry the surname Joiner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 19,035 residents.
How common is Joiner?
Joiner ranks #2,253 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.25 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 15,703 people with the surname Joiner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,007), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.25 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Joiner.
Has Joiner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Joiner went from 16,349 recorded bearers to 15,703. That is a decrease of 646 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,228 to #2,253.
What does the Census say about the background of Joiner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Joiner, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.0%. The next largest groups are Black (30.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Joiner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.0% (9,738 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Joiner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.0%), Black (30.1%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Joiner (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 Joiner mean?
An occupational surname referring to a carpenter or woodworker who specializes in constructing furniture or wooden fittings. 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 Joiner (5.25 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 last name Joiner?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Joiner is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.