Justin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
England

As early as c. 1172, this name was used by judicial officers or judges and it is from this source the surname was more than likely derived. While there may have been Norman roots at La Justice in Normandy, the name was more likely an occupational name for someone who held the office of "the justice," in other words a judge.

Saint Justus (d. 627), was the fourth Archbishop of Canterbury, sent in 601 from Rome by Pope Gregory along with Laurentius, Mellitus, and others to reinforce the Kentish mission. Justus died on 10 Nov. 627, and was buried in St. Peter's porch at St. Augustine's, Canterbury. 1

Early Origins of the Justin family

The surname Justin was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, and Angus where one of the first records of the name was Patrick Justyce as a tenant of the mill at Kelso in 1472. Just two years later, Patrick Justice, a priest who witnessed an instrument of sasine in this shire in 1474. As the forename Patrick was not very popular at this time, these two references may be the same person. The lands of James Justeis and Thomas Justeis are mentioned in Scone in 1491. 2

The variants Jewson and Juson were mostly found further south in England. This illustrious family were originally found in Colchester, Essex where Richard Juwesone, Jullesome, Jullesone was recorded in 1333, 1340 and 1341. 3 It is generally thought the entries were all for the same person.

Early History of the Justin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Justin research. Another 140 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1450, 1567, 1600, 1673, 1745 and 1778 are included under the topic Early Justin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Justin Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Justice, Justine, Justus and others.

Early Notables of the Justin family

More information is included under the topic Early Justin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Justin Ranking

In the United States, the name Justin is the 12,812^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4 However, in France, the name Justin is ranked the 4,855^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 5

Justin migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Justin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Martin Justin, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Justin (post 1700) +

Jules J. Justin, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 20th District, 1946, 1948 7
John S. Justin Jr. (1917-2001), American politician, Mayor of Fort Worth, Texas, 1961-63 7
Alan J. Justin, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly 146th District, 1973-74 7
Sir Michael Justin Creswell KCMG (1909-1986), British diplomat, Ambassador to Finland (1954-1958), Ambassador to Yugoslavia (1960-1964), and Ambassador to Argentina (1964-1969), son of Colonel Edmund William Creswell
Henry Justin Wardlaw (b. 1963), 22nd Baronet of Pitreavie in the County of Fife, Scottish peer
Keith Justin Balderston (b. 1970), American actor, known for 5 Minutes (2014), Lunch Break (2013) and Revenge (2013)
Arthur Justin Beriault (b. 1981), former American NFL football player for the Dallas Cowboys in 2005
Ryan Justin Steed (b. 1990), American NFL football cornerback for the New Orleans Saints
Lars Justin Hirschfeld (b. 1978), Canadian football goalkeeper
Sean Justin Penn (b. 1960), American two-time Academy Award-winning and Golden Globe Award winning film actor and director

The Justin Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Non sine causa
Motto Translation: Not without a cause.

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html