Show ContentsJoan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Saxon name Joan comes from the baptismal name forJoan, which was the female version of the personal name John. [1]

Joan, Joanna, Jone or Jane (1165-1199), was "Queen of Sicily and Countess of Toulouse, the third daughter and seventh child of Henry II, king of England, and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Born at Angers in October 1165, she was brought up in the abbey of Fontevraud. In 1168 Henry offered her hand, without result, to the king of Aragon or the king of Navarre. Next year he betrothed her to William II, or the Good, king of Sicily. The betrothal seems to have been broken off, for in 1172 William, who was ten years older than Joanna, proposed to marry a daughter of the eastern emperor, Manuel Comnenos." [2]

Joan, Joanna, Anna or Janet (d. 1237), was "Princess of North Wales, is described in the ‘Tewkesbury Annals’ as a daughter of John, King of England, ‘and Queen Clemencia,’ words which may possibly represent John's first wife, Isabel of Gloucester. " [2]

Early Origins of the Joan family

The surname Joan was first found in Worcestershire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Joan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Joan research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Joan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Joan Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Joan were recorded, including Joanes, Joans and others.

Early Notables of the Joan family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Joanes of Worcester


United States Joan migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Joan family emigrate to North America:

Joan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jachim Joan, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1744 [3]

Contemporary Notables of the name Joan (post 1700) +

  • Jacqueline St. Joan, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Colorado, 2008 [4]
  • Dame Margaret Joan Anstee DCMG (1926-2016), British diplomat, Director-General of the UN Office in Vienna (1987–1992)
  • Barbara Joan Love (1937-2022), American feminist writer and the editor of Feminists who Changed America (1963–1975)
  • Desiree Joan Gould (1945-2021), American theater, film and television actress, singer and dancer, best known for her role as Aunt Martha in the 1983 slasher film Sleepaway Camp
  • Nancy Joan Kinross CBE (1926-2021), New Zealand nurse and nursing academic, the first professor of nursing at Massey University, second female professor at the university
  • Kathleen Joan Heddle OBC (1965-2021), Canadian three-time gold medalist rower; she and her rowing partner Marnie McBean were the first Canadians to win three Olympic Gold medals
  • Carol Joan Sutton (1944-2020), American actress of theater, film and television, best known for her appearances in the films Steel Magnolias, Monster's Ball, and Ray
  • Lady Margaret Joan Jarvis C.B.E., British recipient of Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 17th June 2017, for services to People with Visual Impairments and to Philanthropy
  • Mrs. Barbara Joan Gubbins C.B.E., D.L., British Chief Executive for County Durham Community Foundation was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 17th June 2017, for services to the Voluntary and Community Sectors
  • Miss Elizabeth Joan Nicholl O.B.E., British Wing Commander for the Royal Air Force was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 17th June 2017


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. 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)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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