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

Josi, 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 Josi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Josi in America

Josi is the 117480th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Josi surname appeared 148 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 Josi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Josi 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 Josi

The surname JOSI originated in Southern Germany, particularly in the region of Bavaria, dating back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Germanic personal name "Jos" or "Jost," which itself is a shortened form of the name "Justus" meaning "just" or "upright."

In its earliest recorded instances, the name was sometimes spelled as "Josy" or "Josi," reflecting the regional dialect of the time. One of the earliest known records of the name can be found in a church registry from the town of Augsburg, dated 1492, where a certain "Hans Josi" is listed as a resident.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the JOSI name spread across various parts of Southern Germany and Austria, particularly in rural areas where farming was a common occupation. Some notable early bearers of the name include Johann Josi, a prominent vintner from the town of Kitzingen (born circa 1550), and Matthias Josi, a respected blacksmith from Regensburg (born circa 1610).

As the centuries progressed, the JOSI name continued to be well-represented in various professions, from artisans and tradesmen to scholars and clergymen. One notable figure was Father Joseph Josi, a Benedictine monk and renowned theologian who lived in the late 17th century and authored several influential works on religious philosophy.

In the 19th century, as industrialization and urbanization took hold, many JOSI families migrated from rural areas to larger cities in search of new opportunities. One such individual was Wilhelm Josi, born in 1832 in a small village near Munich, who later became a successful entrepreneur and industrialist in the city of Stuttgart.

While the JOSI name has historically been most prevalent in Germany and Austria, it has also spread to other parts of Europe and beyond through various migrations and diasporas. For example, there are records of JOSI families settling in Switzerland, France, and even as far as the United States and Canada in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Josi

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

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

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

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