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Joe Family History

Joe Surname Meaning

English and Scottish: from a short form of the personal name Joseph.

Native American (e.g. Navajo): adoption of the English personal name Joe (short form of Joseph) as a surname.

Korean: variant of Cho.

Chinese: variant of Cho.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Joe family from?

You can see how Joe families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Joe family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Joe families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 304 Joe families living in British Columbia. This was about 62% of all the recorded Joe's in Canada. British Columbia had the highest population of Joe families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Joe surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Joe ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Labourer and Cannery Hand were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Joe. 46% of Joe men worked as a Labourer and 50% of Joe women worked as a Cannery Hand. Some less common occupations for Americans named Joe were Laborer and Cook.

View Census Data for Joe | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Labourer
    46%
  • Farmer
    13%
  • Cook
    7%
  • Laborer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Cannery Hand
    50%
  • Labourer
    30%
  • Cook
    20%

What Joe family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 33,000 census records available for the last name Joe. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Joe census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Joe

Passenger Lists

There are 9,000 immigration records available for the last name Joe. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Joe immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Joe. For the veterans among your Joe ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Joe military records

You've only scratched the surface of Joe family history

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What is the average Joe lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Joe life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1965. The average life expectancy for Joe in 1944 was 33, and 66 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Joe

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Joe ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Joe family tree

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