An English surname, Joyner comes from the Old French terms ’joigneor’ and ’joinre’ to connect and come together. Later the name came to mean a carpenter or an engineer. The spelling variations for Joyner include Genower, Junor, Jenner, Joiner and Ginner. In England the Joyner families cover most of the country from the north to the southern portions. Those counties with the greater Joyner populations are Yorkshire, Hampshire, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Herefordshire. In Scotland the Joyner families in more northern regions such as Aberdeenshire and Inverness-shire counties. Within the United States the early Joyner families were mainly in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and Georgia. Famous: Lamarcus Joyner (professional football player), Jackie Joyner (Olympic runner), Jackiem Joyner (musician), Wally Joyner (professional baseball player), Florence Griffith-Joyner(champion track and field athlete), Arthenia Joyner (politician), Isaac Joyner (professional basketball player) and Tom Joyner (radio personality).