2000
#9,700
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,073
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.14
Rare Last name
Lajoie
A French surname derived from the phrase "la joie," meaning "the joy" or referring to a happy person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,471 Americans carry the last name Lajoie. That puts it at #10,148 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,748 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lajoie surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 98,748
Census rank
#10,148
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,027 bearers of the surname Lajoie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10148th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lajoie, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Black (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lajoie
The surname LAJOIE is of French origin, deriving from the old French words "la joie" which translates to "the joy" or "the happiness". It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of France during the medieval period, possibly as a descriptive nickname or a locational name referring to a place of joy or happiness.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the LAJOIE surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the region of Normandy, France. In a manuscript dated 1267, a man named Renaud LAJOIE is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Bayeux. This suggests that the name had already been established in the area by that time.
During the 14th century, the LAJOIE name appears in several municipal records and tax rolls in various parts of northern France, indicating its spread across the region. Notable examples include a merchant named Jacques LAJOIE in the city of Rouen in 1347, and a landowner named Pierre LAJOIE in the village of Amiens in 1382.
As the name continued to spread throughout France, it also found its way into other parts of Europe. In the 15th century, there are records of individuals with the LAJOIE surname in the Low Countries (modern-day Belgium and the Netherlands), possibly due to migration or trade connections.
One of the earliest known LAJOIE individuals of historical significance was Jean LAJOIE (c. 1480-1542), a French poet and playwright from the city of Paris. His works, which included satirical plays and lyrical poems, were popular among the French nobility of the time.
Another notable figure was Marie LAJOIE (1567-1644), a French Catholic nun and educator who founded one of the first schools for girls in the city of Lyon. She was renowned for her dedication to education and her efforts to promote literacy among young women.
In the 17th century, the LAJOIE name crossed the Atlantic Ocean with French settlers who established colonies in North America. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Jacques LAJOIE (1623-1687), a farmer and fur trader who settled in the colony of New France (modern-day Quebec, Canada) in 1648.
Other notable LAJOIE individuals from this period include Pierre LAJOIE (1675-1745), a French military officer who served in the War of the Spanish Succession, and Marguerite LAJOIE (1698-1773), a pioneering settler in the colony of Acadia (modern-day Nova Scotia, Canada).
As the LAJOIE surname continued to spread and evolve over the centuries, it has been associated with various notable individuals across different fields, including writers, artists, politicians, and athletes. However, the core meaning of the name, derived from the concept of joy and happiness, has remained a consistent thread throughout its rich history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lajoie
Among Census respondents with the surname Lajoie, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Black (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Lajoie bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Lajoie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 2,685
- Black or African American3.7% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 110
- Two or more races2.9% · 88
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lajoie
Lajoie appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#10,250
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,145
+72 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 550 places
2020
#10,148
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,027
-118 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Up 102 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,700 | 3,073 | 1.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,250 | 3,145 | 1.07 | +72 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 550 places |
| 2020 | #10,148 | 3,027 | 1.01 | -118 bearers (-3.8%) | Up 102 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Lajoie surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,250 | #10,148 | 1.0% |
| Count | 3,145 | 3,027 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.07 | 1.01 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lajoie bearers went from 3,145 to 3,027 (-3.8% change). The surname moved up 102 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,250 to #10,148.
FAQ
Lajoie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lajoie?
Name Census estimates that about 3,471 living Americans carry the surname Lajoie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,748 residents.
How common is Lajoie?
Lajoie ranks #10,148 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,027 people with the surname Lajoie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,471), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.01 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Lajoie.
Has Lajoie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lajoie went from 3,145 recorded bearers to 3,027. That is a decrease of 118 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,250 to #10,148.
What does the Census say about the background of Lajoie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lajoie, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Black (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lajoie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (2,685 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lajoie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Black (3.7%), Hispanic (3.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Lajoie (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Lajoie mean?
A French surname derived from the phrase "la joie," meaning "the joy" or referring to a happy person. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Lajoie (1.01 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Lajoie?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.