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

Joo, 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 Joo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Joo in America

Joo is the 10324th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Joo surname appeared 3,121 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Joo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Joo 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 Joo

The surname Joo originated in Korea during the 14th century. It is derived from the Korean word "ju," meaning "lord" or "master." The earliest known records of the Joo surname can be found in the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) royal chronicles, where it was often associated with members of the noble class or high-ranking government officials.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the Joo surname was Joo Yeong-su (1337-1392), a prominent scholar and politician during the late Goryeo period. He served as a chief minister under King Gongmin and played a significant role in establishing the neo-Confucian ideology that would shape Korean society for centuries.

During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897), the Joo surname became widely distributed throughout the Korean peninsula. Several notable figures emerged, including Joo Se-bung (1495-1554), a renowned Neo-Confucian scholar and writer who authored various influential works on philosophy and ethics.

Another prominent individual was Joo Hang (1786-1834), a dedicated scholar and educator who established the Gyeongsang Confucian Academy, which played a vital role in preserving and promoting traditional Korean Confucian values and education.

In the realm of literature, Joo Yi-hang (1809-1857) was a celebrated poet and writer during the late Joseon period. His works, particularly his lyrical poetry, are regarded as some of the finest examples of traditional Korean literature.

Throughout history, the Joo surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Joo-am, a village in the Gyeonggi province, and Joo-seong, an ancient fortress located in the present-day city of Jeonju.

While the Joo surname has deep roots in Korean history, it has also found its way into other parts of the world, particularly among Korean diasporas. Individuals with this surname have made significant contributions in various fields, further enriching the legacy of this ancient Korean name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Joo

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

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

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

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