2000
#4,425
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,417
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.75
Rare Last name
Yager
An occupational surname for a hunter or someone who chased game.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,161 Americans carry the last name Yager. That puts it at #4,815 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 41,999 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yager surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
8.2K
1 in 41,999
Census rank
#4,815
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,117 bearers of the surname Yager in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4815th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yager, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yager
The surname Yager is of German origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Jäger," which means "hunter" or "huntsman." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name were likely involved in hunting or forestry professions.
The name Yager first appeared in various German-speaking regions, particularly in areas with a strong hunting tradition, such as the Black Forest region. It is also possible that the name originated as a descriptive surname, given to individuals who excelled in hunting or lived near forested areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yager can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the 13th century. This suggests that the name was already in use during that time period.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Johann Yager was mentioned in the chronicles of the city of Nuremberg, where he served as a huntsman for the local nobility. This provides further evidence of the name's association with hunting and forestry.
During the 16th century, the name Yager gained prominence through the exploits of Hans Yager, a renowned marksman and hunter from the Black Forest region. His skill and reputation as a huntsman contributed to the name's prestige and recognition.
Another influential figure bearing the Yager surname was Gottfried Yager, born in 1645 in the town of Freiburg. He was a renowned cartographer and mapmaker, whose works were widely acclaimed for their accuracy and attention to detail.
In the 18th century, the name Yager appeared in various regions of Europe, including in the records of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. One notable individual from this period was Friedrich Yager, a distinguished military officer who served in the Prussian Army during the Seven Years' War.
As the Yager family spread throughout Europe, the name also took on various spellings, such as Jager, Jaeger, and Yeager, reflecting regional linguistic variations and adaptations.
Throughout history, the surname Yager has been associated with individuals from diverse professions, including hunters, foresters, soldiers, artisans, and scholars. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the hunting and forestry traditions of Germanic-speaking regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yager
Among Census respondents with the surname Yager, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Yager bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Yager surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 6,533
- Two or more races3.5% · 248
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 196
- Black or African American1.0% · 71
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 51
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yager
Yager appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#4,766
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,427
+10 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 2.52
Rank movement Down 341 places
2020
#4,815
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,117
-310 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 2.38
Rank movement Down 49 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,425 | 7,417 | 2.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,766 | 7,427 | 2.52 | +10 bearers (+0.1%) | Down 341 places |
| 2020 | #4,815 | 7,117 | 2.38 | -310 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 49 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Yager surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,766 | #4,815 | -1.0% |
| Count | 7,427 | 7,117 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.52 | 2.38 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yager bearers went from 7,427 to 7,117 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 49 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,766 to #4,815.
FAQ
Yager surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yager?
Name Census estimates that about 8,161 living Americans carry the surname Yager. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 41,999 residents.
How common is Yager?
Yager ranks #4,815 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.38 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,117 people with the surname Yager. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,161), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.38 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Yager.
Has Yager become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yager went from 7,427 recorded bearers to 7,117. That is a decrease of 310 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,766 to #4,815.
What does the Census say about the background of Yager?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yager, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Yager in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (6,533 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yager appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (2.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Yager (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Yager mean?
An occupational surname for a hunter or someone who chased game. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Yager (2.38 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Yager?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.