Joye History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Scotland

The name Joye came to England with the ancestors of the Joye family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Joye family lived in Herefordshire. Their name, however, derives from the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, De Gai, Normandy. 1

Others sources claim the name is a nickname for ' the jay,' a chatterer, a smartly dressed person. 2 3 4

Early Origins of the Joye family

The surname Joye was first found in Herefordshire at Heath, with Jay, a township, in the parish of Leintwardine, union of Ludlow, hundred of Wigmore. 5 This small township had only 55 inhabitants in the late 1800s and comprises the hamlets of Heath and Jay. 6 7

One of the first records of the family was Gilber Jai (Gai) who was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1202. A few years later, Tandy de Jay was listed in the Assize Rolls for Shropshire in 1221 and Walter le Jay was found in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1225. 8

In Somerset, William le Jay was listed there 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 9

"Brian de Jay was the last Master of the English Knights Templars. He was the only Englishman of note slain at the battle of Falkirk in 1298 and his fellow Master of the Order in Scotland, fighting along with Jay, was also killed." 10

Early History of the Joye family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Joye research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1495, 1511, 1529, 1530, 1534, 1553, 1630, 1697, 1699, 1722, 1734 and 1790 are included under the topic Early Joye History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Joye Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Jay, Jaye, Jayes and others.

Early Notables of the Joye family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

George Joye (also Joy and Jaye) (c. 1495 - 1553), a 16th-century Bible translator who produced the first printed translation of several books of the Old Testament into English (1530-1534), as well as...
George Joye (d. 1553), was a Protestant controversialist, who was occasionally known as Clarke, Geach, Gee, and Jaye, a native of Bedfordshire. 11

Joye Ranking

In France, the name Joye is the 6,199^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 12

Joye migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Joye or a variant listed above:

Joye Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Joye, who arrived in Virginia in 1619 13
Margaret Joye, who arrived in Maryland in 1649 13

Joye Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Peter S Joye, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1830 13
Peter Joye, who arrived in Charleston in 1830
F S Joye, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1838 13

Contemporary Notables of the name Joye (post 1700) +

Dan Joye (b. 1985), Venezuelan-born, American luger who has competed at two Winter Olympics
Prudent Joye (1913-1980), French gold medalist track and field athlete at the 1938 European Athletics Championships
Gilles Joye (1424-1425), Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance
Col Joye AM (b. 1936), stage name Colin Frederick Jacobsen, an Australian popular entertainer and entrepreneur
Joye Hummel (1924-2021), birth name of Joye Murchison Kelly, an American ghost-writer for a number of "Wonder Woman" stories between 1944 and 1947

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)