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

Joyce, 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 Joyce surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Joyce in America

Joyce is the 1022nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Joyce surname appeared 34,132 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 12 people would have the surname Joyce.

We can also compare 2010 data for Joyce 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 Joyce

The surname Joyce has its origins in the Norman French name "Jois" or "Joice", which itself is derived from the Latin name "Jovisus", meaning "of Jove" or "belonging to Jupiter". This surname traces its roots back to medieval England and Ireland, and was likely introduced by Norman settlers in the 11th and 12th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Joyce surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Jois" and "Joice". During this time, the name was primarily concentrated in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, and Cambridgeshire in England.

As the surname spread across the British Isles, various spelling variations emerged, such as Joyce, Joyse, Joice, and Jowce. In Ireland, the Joyce name is particularly associated with counties Galway and Mayo, where it is believed to have been introduced by Norman settlers in the 12th century.

Notable historical figures bearing the Joyce surname include Thomas Joyce (c. 1530-1619), an English Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Jeremiah Joyce (1604-1678), an Irish Catholic priest and author who wrote extensively on theological matters.

In the literary world, James Joyce (1882-1941) is undoubtedly the most renowned bearer of the Joyce name. An Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic, he is best known for his groundbreaking works such as "Ulysses" and "Finnegans Wake", which revolutionized the art of fiction writing in the 20th century.

Other notable individuals with the Joyce surname include Edward Joyce (1592-1637), an Irish Catholic lawyer and writer who became a leading figure in the Irish Rebellion of 1641, and John Joyce (1939-2022), an English actor best known for his roles in television series such as "Coronation Street" and "Keeping Up Appearances".

While the Joyce surname has its roots in medieval England and Ireland, it has since spread across the globe, with bearers of the name found in various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Joyce

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

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

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

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