2000
#50,468
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 389
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Very Rare Last name
Montjoy
A French topographic surname derived from the Old French elements "mont" meaning hill and "joie" meaning joy or delight.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 515 Americans carry the last name Montjoy. That puts it at #50,348 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 665,542 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Montjoy 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
515
1 in 665,542
Census rank
#50,348
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
449
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 449 bearers of the surname Montjoy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 50348th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Montjoy, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.4%) and Hispanic (8.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Montjoy
The surname Montjoy originated in France during the Middle Ages. It derives from the Old French words "mont" meaning "hill" and "joi" meaning "joy," suggesting the name may have referred to someone who lived on or near a joyful hill or mountain.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Montjoy dates back to the 13th century in the region of Normandy, France. It is believed to have been initially used as a descriptive surname, referring to the location or residence of the family.
In the 14th century, a branch of the Montjoy family settled in England, likely during the Norman conquest. Historical records show that a William de Montjoy was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327.
The Montjoy name appears in several medieval manuscripts and records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, which listed landowners in England after the Norman conquest. The name was also mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1191.
Notable individuals with the surname Montjoy throughout history include:
1. Jean de Montjoy (c. 1340 - c. 1415), a French knight and herald who served under King Charles VI of France.
2. Sir Walter Montjoy (c. 1480 - 1548), an English soldier and courtier during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI.
3. Philibert de Montjoy (c. 1525 - 1597), a French nobleman and military commander who fought in the French Wars of Religion.
4. Christopher Montjoy (c. 1580 - 1649), an English clergyman and writer who authored several religious works.
5. Louis de Montjoy (c. 1630 - 1688), a French military officer and diplomat who served as the ambassador of France to Portugal.
The name Montjoy has also been associated with various place names throughout history, such as Montjoye-le-Château in France and Montjoy Hill in England, further reflecting its geographical origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Montjoy
Among Census respondents with the surname Montjoy, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.4%) and Hispanic (8.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Montjoy 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 Montjoy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.0% · 319
- Black or African American13.4% · 60
- Hispanic or Latino8.7% · 39
- Two or more races6.2% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Montjoy
Montjoy 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
#49,177
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 428
+39 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 1,291 places
2020
#50,348
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 449
+21 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 1,171 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #50,468 | 389 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #49,177 | 428 | 0.15 | +39 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 1,291 places |
| 2020 | #50,348 | 449 | 0.15 | +21 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 1,171 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 Montjoy 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 | #49,177 | #50,348 | -2.4% |
| Count | 428 | 449 | 4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Montjoy bearers went from 428 to 449 (+4.9% change). The surname moved down 1,171 positions in the national ranking, going from #49,177 to #50,348.
FAQ
Montjoy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Montjoy?
Name Census estimates that about 515 living Americans carry the surname Montjoy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 665,542 residents.
How common is Montjoy?
Montjoy ranks #50,348 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 449 people with the surname Montjoy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (515), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Montjoy.
Has Montjoy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Montjoy went from 428 recorded bearers to 449. That is an increase of 21 (+4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #49,177 to #50,348.
What does the Census say about the background of Montjoy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Montjoy, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.4%) and Hispanic (8.7%). 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 Montjoy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.0% (319 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Montjoy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.0%), Black (13.4%), Hispanic (8.7%). 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 Montjoy (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 Montjoy mean?
A French topographic surname derived from the Old French elements "mont" meaning hill and "joie" meaning joy or delight. 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 Montjoy (0.15 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 Montjoy?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.