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

Yaeger, 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 Yaeger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yaeger in America

Yaeger is the 9212th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yaeger surname appeared 3,537 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Yaeger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yaeger 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 Yaeger

The surname Yaeger has its origins rooted in the German language, tracing back to regions within modern-day Germany during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "jeger," meaning "hunter" or "huntsman." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been individuals engaged in hunting activities, either as a profession or as a means of sustenance.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Yaeger can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. This record mentions an individual named "Henricus Yeger" in the year 1287, indicating the presence of the name in this region during that time period.

As the surname spread across different regions, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged. Some notable examples include Jäger, Jeger, and Yäger, each reflecting the linguistic nuances and regional dialects of the areas where the name was adopted.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Yaeger. One such figure was Johann Wolfgang Jaeger (1647-1720), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of astronomy during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Another prominent bearer of the name was Georg Friedrich Jaeger (1785-1866), a German entomologist and naturalist renowned for his extensive work on insect classification and taxonomy.

In the realm of literature, the name Yaeger is associated with the German writer and philosopher Ernst Jünger (1895-1998), whose works explored themes of war, technology, and the human condition. His writings, such as "Storm of Steel" and "The Glass Bees," garnered widespread acclaim and influence in the 20th century.

The name Yaeger has also been carried by notable figures in other fields, such as Robert Jaeger (1888-1954), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Texas, and Werner Jaeger (1888-1961), a renowned German classical philologist and scholar of ancient Greek philosophy.

While the surname Yaeger has its roots in German-speaking regions, it has since spread across various parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. The name continues to be borne by individuals of diverse backgrounds, reflecting its rich historical legacy and the enduring impact of its bearers throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yaeger

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

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 Yaeger 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 Yaeger 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 Yaeger was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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