Find out how popular the last name Yackey is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Yackey.

Yackey, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Yackey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yackey in America

Yackey is the 90495th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yackey surname appeared 204 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Yackey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yackey to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Yackey

The surname Yackey is believed to have its origins in Germany, tracing back to the medieval period. The name is likely a variation of Jaeckel or Jäckel, which itself is a diminutive form of the given name Jakob or Jacob. In the High Middle Ages, it was common for surnames to evolve from given names with added diminutive or affectionate suffixes, especially in German-speaking regions.

Early records of the surname's variants can be found in the German states such as Bavaria and Saxony during the 14th and 15th centuries. This was a period of significant social and political change in the Germanic regions, leading to the spread and diversification of surnames. The names Jaeckel and Jäckel are derived from the Hebrew name Yaakov, which means "supplanter" or "holder of the heel." Over time, the adaptation and Anglicization of names as families migrated led to different spellings, including Yackey.

One of the earliest recorded instances of a related name appears in a 1424 manuscript from Nuremberg, which lists a Johann Jaeckel. Another early example is Peter Jäckel, a merchant from Augsburg, mentioned in tax records from 1493. These documents indicate not only the presence of the name in various forms but also suggest the mobility and social standing of individuals carrying this surname.

In the 17th century, records show the migration of individuals with variants of the name to North America. Johann Georg Jaeckel, born in 1658, emigrated from Hamburg to Pennsylvania in 1683, where records eventually list his descendants with the surname Yackey. This change in spelling occurred commonly to fit English phonetics and administrative practices.

By the 18th century, the surname Yackey was also found in records of the British colonies. For instance, Richard Yackey, born in 1732 in Virginia, appears in colonial records as a landowner and farmer. This suggests a level of economic stability and integration into colonial society. Additionally, Mary Yackey, born in 1765, is noted in Maryland marriage records, further indicating the presence and continuity of the surname in America.

The surname also appears in European records from the 19th century. Heinrich Yackey, born in 1821 in Prussia, is registered in military conscription lists, showing that the name persisted in different regions of Europe even amidst various political and social upheavals.

In summary, the surname Yackey has a rich history rooted in Germanic origins, associated with the diminutive of the name Jacob. Through centuries of migration, adaptation, and social evolution, the surname has appeared in various forms and records, spanning continents and generations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yackey

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Yackey.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Yackey was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Yackey has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Yackey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Yackey, please contact us.

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