Show ContentsJoun History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient Anglo-Saxon surname Joun came 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 Joun family

The surname Joun 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 Joun family

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

Joun Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Joun family name include Joanes, Joans and others.

Early Notables of the Joun family

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

Migration of the Joun family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Joun surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Thomas Joanes, who settled in New England in 1637; along with Richard in 1635; another Richard Joanes settled in Massachusetts in 1635; Elizabeth Joanes settled in Virginia in 1637.



  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


Houseofnames.com on Facebook