Show ContentsJoynson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Joynson reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is based on the given name John and the name literally means "son of John." [1] The given name John is derived from the Hebrew name Johanan, which means Jehovah has favored. The name was extremely popular in the Middle Ages as a result of the numerous connections between the name John and the Christian Church.

"With the exception of the south - western counties, where it is absent or conspicuously rare, this name is distributed all over England, but in much less numbers in the south than in the midlands and in the north. The counties most conspicuous for the number of Johnsons are Cambridge, Cheshire, Derby, Durham, Lancashire, Leicester and Rutland, Lincoln, Norfolk, Northumberland, Notts, Stafford, Warwick, and York." [2] Johnson is the 10th most popular surname in England and Wales.

Early Origins of the Joynson family

The surname Joynson was first found in Lincolnshire, where many of the ancient and leading houses of the family name claim descent originally from the house of FitzJohn in Normandy, particularly that of one of the leading branches and oldest, the Johnsons of Ayscough-Fee. [3]

Later, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list many of the name: Willelmus Joneson; Willelmus Johnson, 1379; Robertus Johanson; Juliana Jonesson; Ricardus Joneson; and Robertas Jonson. [1]

Early History of the Joynson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Joynson research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1375, 1503, 1572, 1629, 1637, 1644, 1659, 1675, 1680, 1682, 1688, 1689, 1713, 1717, 1719, 1735, 1775, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Joynson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Joynson Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Joynson has been recorded under many different variations, including Johnson, Joneson, Jonson, Joynson and others.

Early Notables of the Joynson family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Benjamin Jonson (1572-1637), an English playwright, poet, actor, and literary critic; Daniel Johnson (1629-1675), an English buccaneer born in Bristol, who sailed against the Spanish during the late 17th century becoming known among the Spanish as "Johnson the Terror"; Sir Nathaniel Johnson (1644-1713), an English soldier and a Member of Parliament for Newcastle-upon-Tyne (1680-1689); Sir Henry Johnson...
Another 64 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Joynson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Joynson family to Ireland

Some of the Joynson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Australia Joynson migration to Australia +

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

Joynson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Moses Joynson, (b. 1814), aged 26, English ship wright who was convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside, England for 10 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Eden" on 8th July 1840, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1868 [4]
  • Mr. Thomas Joynson, English convict who was convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 28th July 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [5]

Contemporary Notables of the name Joynson (post 1700) +

  • Lancelot William Joynson -Hicks (1902-1983), 3rd Viscount Brentford, English Conservative politician
  • William Joynson -Hicks PC, DL (1865-1932), 1st Viscount Brentford, English solicitor and Conservative Party politician, Home Secretary (1924-1929)

RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. Edgar H. Joynson, English Steward's Young Assistant from England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking [6]


  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. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 23rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
  6. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


Houseofnames.com on Facebook