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

Josey, 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 Josey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Josey in America

Josey is the 8006th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Josey surname appeared 4,131 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 Josey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Josey 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 Josey

The surname Josey is of English origin, emerging in the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to be a diminutive or pet form of the personal name Joseph, derived from the Hebrew name Yosef, meaning "he will add" or "he will increase." The surname was likely an occupational name for someone who played the role of Joseph in medieval religious plays.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Josey can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where it appears as Joce. Over time, various spellings emerged, including Joscey, Jocie, Joscy, and Josey. These variations reflect the influence of regional dialects and scribal interpretations.

In the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1279, the name is recorded as Josce, potentially indicating a connection to the place name Joscelin, a town in Normandy, France. This suggests that the name may have been introduced to England by Norman settlers following the Norman Conquest of 1066.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Josey was John Josey, born around 1450 in Warwickshire, England. He was a yeoman farmer and landowner in the village of Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare.

Another notable figure was William Josey, born in 1602 in Gloucestershire, England. He was a member of the English gentry and served as a Justice of the Peace in his local community.

In the 17th century, Richard Josey, born in 1638 in Somerset, England, was a prominent merchant and trader who established business connections with the American colonies, particularly in Virginia.

During the English Civil War (1642-1651), Captain Thomas Josey, born in 1620 in Oxfordshire, was a Parliamentarian officer who fought against the Royalist forces of King Charles I.

In the late 18th century, Mary Josey, born in 1776 in Kent, England, gained recognition as a talented landscape painter and was elected a member of the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

While the surname Josey is not as common as some other English surnames, it has a rich history dating back to the medieval period and has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, from farmers and merchants to military officers and artists.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Josey

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

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

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

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