2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Yaggy
An English surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a nickname.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Yaggy. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yaggy 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Yaggy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yaggy, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yaggy
The surname Yaggy likely originates from Switzerland, a country known for its diverse cultural and linguistic heritage. The name appears to have emerged during the late medieval period, possibly in the 14th or 15th century. It is rooted in the German-speaking areas of Switzerland, particularly regions like Zurich and Aargau. The name Yaggy is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "jag," which means "hunt," suggesting that the original bearers of the name may have been hunters or involved in some form of gamekeeping.
Historical references to the name can be traced back to local Swiss records and manuscripts from the early modern period. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in tax records from the late 16th century. Another notable mention is found in the church registers of Zurich, where a family named Yaggy is documented in the early 17th century. These records indicate the presence of the Yaggy family in various small towns and villages in the surrounding areas.
One prominent figure bearing the surname Yaggy was John P. Yaggy, born in 1826 and passed away in 1888. He was known for his contributions to education and his role in establishing the Western Publishing House in Chicago. John P. Yaggy's work in creating educational materials, including maps and charts, made significant impacts in the field of geography education during the 19th century.
Another notable individual is Jacob Yaggy, born in 1856 and died in 1896, who was an important figure in the agricultural development of the American Midwest. Jacob Yaggy played a key role in introducing Swiss cheese-making techniques to Wisconsin, which became a major industry in the region.
The surname Yaggy also appeared in the annals of military history, with Heinrich Yaggy, a Swiss mercenary, recorded in the service of various European armies in the late 18th century. His name appears in the military roll calls and enlistment records, highlighting the mobility and versatility of those bearing the surname.
Friedrich Yaggy, born in 1834 and passed away in 1902, was a Swiss industrialist known for his contributions to the textile industry in the region of St. Gallen. His efforts in modernizing textile production and his philanthropic activities were well documented in local historical archives.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Yaggy name featured in various emigration records, documenting the movement of families from Switzerland to the United States. These records indicate that members of the Yaggy family sought new opportunities in the New World, contributing to the cultural and economic life in their new homeland.
The surname Yaggy thus carries a rich history, indicative of the diverse roles and contributions made by its bearers over the centuries, spanning from medieval Switzerland to various parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yaggy
Among Census respondents with the surname Yaggy, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Yaggy 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 Yaggy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 3
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yaggy
Yaggy 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+5 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,471 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,268 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 4,471 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 3,268 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 Yaggy 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 | #154,907 | #151,639 | 2.1% |
| Count | 105 | 107 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yaggy bearers went from 105 to 107 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 3,268 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #151,639.
FAQ
Yaggy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yaggy?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Yaggy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Yaggy?
Yaggy ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Yaggy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Yaggy.
Has Yaggy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yaggy went from 105 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Yaggy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yaggy, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Yaggy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yaggy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Hispanic (4.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Yaggy (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 Yaggy mean?
An English surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a nickname. 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 Yaggy (0.04 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 have the last name Yaggy?
Want to know how many people have the last name Yaggy? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.