Contents [hide]

Justice History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Justice History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The name Justice arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Justice family lived originally in La Justice, Normandy. This record points some in the wrong direction. While this may be the case for some of the early records, the name was more likely an occupational name for someone who held the office of "the justice," in other words a judge. Moreover, as early as c. 1172, the name was used by judicial officers or judges and it is from this source the surname was more than likely derived. One of the first records of the name was William la Justis who was listed in Suffolk in the 12th century. Thomas Justic was listed in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1202.

Early Origins of the Justice family

The surname Justice was first found in Norfolk where the first record of the name was Eva la Justice who was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. She appears with another woman in the Rolls. Records of women in rolls were very rare at this time so one can presume that their inclusion was of some importance. The same rolls includes records of John le Justice in Oxfordshire and Henry Justis in Buckinghamshire.

Early History of the Justice family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Justice research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1253 and 1379 are included under the topic Early Justice History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Justice Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Justice, Justine, Justus and others.

Justice Ranking

In the United States, the name Justice is the 933^rd most popular surname with an estimated 32,331 people with that name. 1

Justice migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Justice or a variant listed above:

Justice Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Brita Justice, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1627 2

Justice Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Henry Justice, who settled in Virginia in 1700
Hugh Justice, who settled in Virginia in 1723
Henry Justice, who settled in Maryland in 1736

Justice Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Sarah Justice arrived in San Francisco, California in 1862
Seabright Justice, who arrived in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1880 2
John Justice, aged 22, who immigrated to the United States from Yorkshire, in 1893

Justice Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Ithumas Moses Justice, who settled in America, in 1903
James J. Justice, who settled in America, in 1907
Edmund Justice, aged 32, who landed in America from Manchester, England, in 1908
Florence Justice, aged 28, who immigrated to the United States, in 1908
Charles Ernest Justice, aged 20, who landed in America from Southsea, England, in 1909
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Justice migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Justice Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Justice, aged 28, a carpenter, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Lismoyne"

Justice migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Justice Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. William Justice, (b. 1839), aged 40, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Stad Haarlem" arriving in Lyttleton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1879 3
Mrs. Ellen Justice, (b. 1838), aged 41, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Stad Haarlem" arriving in Lyttleton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1879 3
Miss Ada Justice, (b. 1868), aged 11, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Stad Haarlem" arriving in Lyttleton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1879 3
Mr. William Justice, (b. 1870), aged 9, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Stad Haarlem" arriving in Lyttleton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1879 3
Mr. Charles Justice, (b. 1873), aged 6, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Stad Haarlem" arriving in Lyttleton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1879 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Justice (post 1700) +

Katherine Justice (b. 1942), American actress, appearing mainly in the crime and mystery genre
Victoria Justice (b. 1993), American actress, singer-songwriter, and dancer
David Christopher Justice (b. 1966), American former Major League Baseball outfielder and designated hitter
Donald Justice (1925-2004), American poet and teacher of writing awarded the 1980 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
Edward J. Justice, American Democratic Party politician, Member of North Carolina State House of Representatives, 1899, 1907, 1913-14; Speaker of the North Carolina State House of Representatives, 1907 4
E. J. Justice, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from North Carolina, 1912 (speaker) 4
E. E. Justice, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1940 4
Dolly Justice, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from South Carolina, 1996 4
Daniel R. H. Justice, American politician, Member of North Carolina State House of Representatives from Edgecombe County, 1889-90 4
Arminta Justice, American Democratic Party politician, Presidential Elector for West Virginia, 1960 4
... (Another 18 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Justice 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 +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html