Justis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

As early as c. 1172, this name was used by judicial officers or judges and it is from this source the surname was more than likely derived. While there may have been Norman roots at La Justice in Normandy, the name was more likely an occupational name for someone who held the office of "the justice," in other words a judge.

Saint Justus (d. 627), was the fourth Archbishop of Canterbury, sent in 601 from Rome by Pope Gregory along with Laurentius, Mellitus, and others to reinforce the Kentish mission. Justus died on 10 Nov. 627, and was buried in St. Peter's porch at St. Augustine's, Canterbury. 1

Early Origins of the Justis family

The surname Justis was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, and Angus where one of the first records of the name was Patrick Justyce as a tenant of the mill at Kelso in 1472. Just two years later, Patrick Justice, a priest who witnessed an instrument of sasine in this shire in 1474. As the forename Patrick was not very popular at this time, these two references may be the same person. The lands of James Justeis and Thomas Justeis are mentioned in Scone in 1491. 2

The variants Jewson and Juson were mostly found further south in England. This illustrious family were originally found in Colchester, Essex where Richard Juwesone, Jullesome, Jullesone was recorded in 1333, 1340 and 1341. 3 It is generally thought the entries were all for the same person.

Early History of the Justis family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Justis research. Another 140 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1450, 1567, 1600, 1673, 1745 and 1778 are included under the topic Early Justis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Justis Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Justice, Justine, Justus and others.

Early Notables of the Justis family

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

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. 4

Justis migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Justis Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Charles Justis, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1725 5
John Justis, who landed in North Carolina in 1748 5

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 6
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 +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"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