Joy Family History

Joy Surname Meaning

English: from Joie a French female personal name or occasionally from its male equivalent given especially since the Reformation as an omen or well-wishing name.

In some cases the name may also be a nickname for a person of a cheerful disposition from Middle English joie ‘joy’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Toy, Job, Jay, Coy, Roy, Hoy, Foy, Bay, Goy, Moy

713,000 record(s) for Joy

179K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
19K	Military Records
13K	Immigration Records
140K	Census and Voter Lists
360K	Member Trees

Where is the Joy family from?

You can see how Joy families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Joy family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Joy families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 54 Joy families living in Massachusetts. This was about 18% of all the recorded Joy's in USA. Massachusetts had the highest population of Joy families in 1840.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Joy surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Joy ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Joy. 16% of Joy men worked as a Laborer and 8% of Joy women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Joy were Clerk and Teacher.

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

Laborer

16%

Farmer

12%

Salesman

6%

Clerk

4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

Housekeeper

8%

Housewife

8%

Stenographer

6%

Teacher

6%

What Joy family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 140K census records available for the last name Joy. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Joy census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Passenger List

There are 13K immigration records available for the last name Joy. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

Military Records

There are 19K military records available for the last name Joy. For the veterans among your Joy ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

What is the average Joy lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Joy life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Joy in 1940 was 66, and 81 in 2004.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Joy ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.