by Jim Young (guest)
2/10/2007, 2:54 AM
Jaus is noticed in "The Oxford Dictionary of Surnames", under "Joyce", from which all the following is taken.
Jaus is the Swabian (South German) form of the name found in several other forms in Germany, e.g., Jost. It derives ultimately from the name of a Breton saint, Iodoc, which is latinised as Jodocus. The basis of the name is the Breton word iudh, meaning "lord". Modern forms of this name are found as surnames in several other Western European countries, including England and Ireland, where Joyce is one version.