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

Joles, 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 Joles surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Joles in America

Joles is the 36379th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Joles surname appeared 615 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 Joles.

We can also compare 2010 data for Joles 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 Joles

The surname Joles is believed to have originated in the region of Brittany, France during the medieval period. It is thought to derive from the Old Breton words "jol" meaning "jovial" or "jolly" and the suffix "-es" which was commonly used to denote a place of origin or residence. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who resided in a place associated with jollity or merriment.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Joles surname can be found in the Cartulaire de Quimperlé, a medieval cartulary or collection of charters from the Abbey of Quimperlé in Brittany, dating back to the 12th century. This document mentions a certain "Robertus Joles" who was a landowner in the area.

During the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as "Jolès" and "Jolez" in various records from the region, indicating its continued presence and evolution over time. In the 14th century, a notable figure named Jean Joles (born c. 1320) was recorded as a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Quimper, Brittany.

In the 15th century, the name Joles spread beyond Brittany and can be found in records from other parts of France. One notable example is Philippe Joles (c. 1450 - 1517), a renowned scholar and theologian from the city of Paris.

The 16th century saw the name Joles being carried across the English Channel to England, where it is believed to have been introduced by Breton settlers. One of the earliest recorded instances in England is that of William Joles (c. 1530 - 1597), who was a merchant and landowner in the county of Devon.

As the name spread across Europe, it also appeared in various forms such as "Jolles" and "Jolles" in regions like the Netherlands and Germany. One notable figure from this period was the Dutch painter Pieter Joles (1598 - 1673), known for his landscape and genre paintings.

Throughout its history, the surname Joles has been borne by numerous individuals across various fields, including artists, scholars, merchants, and landowners. While its exact origins remain somewhat obscure, its connection to the region of Brittany and the Old Breton language is well-established, making it a unique and interesting surname with a rich cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Joles

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

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

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

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