Justice
A surname that likely began as a nickname for a magistrate, or from a person associated with law and judgment.
The #1,077 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 9,506 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is generally explained as coming from the Middle English word for a magistrate or judge, itself from Anglo-Norman French and Latin roots meaning “justice” or “right judgment.” In medieval records it could be used as a descriptive byname for someone who acted as a judge or magistrate, or perhaps for someone known for legal dealings. Some early forms appear with the French article, such as Le Justice, which supports a nickname or occupational sense.
History
The name is recorded in medieval English sources, including forms with le/la that point to an occupational or descriptive byname. It also appears in feminine contexts in the Hundred Rolls, which suggests it was not confined to men in its earliest documentary life. Later, it settled as a fixed hereditary surname and survives in modern English-speaking populations, especially in Britain and the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Early records include a woman styled Iva la Justice, a reminder that medieval surnames could still behave more like descriptive labels than modern fixed family names.
From the historical record
“parish. JUSTICE. A magistrate ; probably ap- plied as a sobriquet. Justice was, however, personified in the old miracle plays. See particularly Hone's Anc. Mysteries, p. 38. et seq. It is remarkable that while we have several Le Justices in the H.R. we find one lady called Iva la Justice. Qu. was she a " miracle"…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom