Justis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Justis is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Justis 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 Justis family

The surname Justis 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 Justis family

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

Justis Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Justice, Justine, Justus and others.

Justis Ranking

In the United States, the name Justis is the 11,050^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Justis migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Justis or a variant listed above:

Justis Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Charles Justis, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1725 2
John Justis, who landed in North Carolina in 1748 2

Justis Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Elsie Justis, aged 36, who landed in America, in 1912
Walter Justis, aged 28, who landed in America, in 1912
Mary Alice Justis, aged 58, who settled in America, in 1914
William Justis, aged 22, who immigrated to the United States, in 1924

Contemporary Notables of the name Justis (post 1700) +

Walter Newton "Walt" Justis (1883-1941), American Major League Baseball pitcher
William Everett "Bill" Justis Jr. (1926-1982), one of the first American rock and roll musicians, best known for his 1957 Grammy Hall of Fame song, "Raunchy"
Anna Justis, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Montana, 1940 3
Justis Bolding (b. 1983), American actress, known for her role as Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live (2007–2009)

The Justis 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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html