The French and Irish surname of Joyce comes from Old French terms of ‘juidcaelk’ and ‘iodoc’ which meant a lord. The spelling variations for Joyce include Jowsey, Joyes, Joysey, Joicey, Jorse, Josse, Joss, Joice and Joisce. In England the earliest Joyce families were in Dorset. From there the name spread to Sussex, Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk, Lincolnshire. City of London and many living in Lancashire. In Ireland many with the Joyce surname come from Connacht, Cork and Galway. Many of those families resettled in the 19th century in Australia, Canada and the United States. In Scotland the Joyce families are concentrated in Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, Wigtownshire and Fife counties. Within the United States the original Joyce individuals settled in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, New York, Massachusetts and Georgia. Famous: George Joyce (worked during the 17th century English Civil War to remove King Charles I from the throne), Elaine Joyce (actress), David Joyce (made a fortune during the 19th century in lumber milling), James Joyce (famous writer and novelist), Ronald Vaughan Joyce (Canadian co-founder of Tom Horton’s Doughnut Shops), Alice Joyce (actress), Archibald Joyce (music composer from England) and Bill Joyce (professional baseball player).