2010
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Yaghnam
A Persian surname possibly derived from the village name Yaghnam.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Yaghnam. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yaghnam 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Yaghnam in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yaghnam, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yaghnam
The surname Yaghnam is believed to have originated in the Middle East, with particular ties to the regions of modern-day Iraq and Syria. The name can be traced back to the early medieval period, around the 9th to 12th centuries. This region, known for its rich linguistic heritage, saw the fusion of various languages including Arabic, Aramaic, and Kurdish, contributing to the surname’s etymology.
Yaghnam likely derives from ancient words in the Semitic language family. The prefix "Yagh" might be traced to the Arabic word ‘yaghnam’ which is a verb form meaning ‘to prosper’ or ‘to benefit’. This would suggest that the name carries connotations of prosperity or success, potentially indicating a family or clan of higher social standing or wealth.
Historical references to the surname Yaghnam are sparse but significant. An 11th-century manuscript housed in the National Library of Baghdad references a certain Ibrahim Yaghnam, a merchant known for his extensive trade between Baghdad and Damascus. Another early record is found in a 12th-century tax register from Aleppo, listing a family under the name of Yaghnam, indicating their involvement in agricultural activities.
The earliest recorded example of the name in a European context appears in the 13th century, during the era of the Crusades when a diplomat named Musa Yaghnam was noted for his intermediary role between Christian and Muslim leaders. Musa Yaghnam's diplomatic skills were recognized in 1248 when he successfully negotiated a temporary truce during the Seventh Crusade.
In the 14th century, Jibril Yaghnam, a noted scholar and physician, made significant contributions to the field of medicine. Born in 1305 and passing in 1372, he authored several works on herbal remedies and is credited with advancing medical knowledge in the Levant, particularly within the Mamluk Sultanate.
The surname appears again in the 16th century with Lady Fatima Yaghnam, born in 1542 and known for her patronage of the arts and education in Ottoman Syria. She established several schools and funded various cultural initiatives, leaving a lasting legacy in the region.
In the 18th century, Abdul Rahman Yaghnam, a prominent figure born in 1721, made notable contributions as an adviser to the Governor of Basra. His influence in regional politics and local governance during a turbulent period in Ottoman history was well-documented in regional chronicles.
Each of these individuals contributes to the storied history of the surname Yaghnam, reflecting a legacy of prosperity, diplomacy, scholarship, and cultural patronage. The surname's journey from medieval manuscripts to notable historical records underscores Yaghnam's longstanding presence and influence in Middle Eastern history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yaghnam
Among Census respondents with the surname Yaghnam, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Yaghnam 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 Yaghnam surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.6% · 92
- Two or more races6.4% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.5% · 5
- Black or African American3.6% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yaghnam
Yaghnam appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-8 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,306 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 8,306 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 Yaghnam 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 | #141,140 | #149,446 | -5.9% |
| Count | 118 | 110 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yaghnam bearers went from 118 to 110 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 8,306 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #149,446.
FAQ
Yaghnam surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yaghnam?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Yaghnam. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Yaghnam?
Yaghnam ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Yaghnam. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Yaghnam.
Has Yaghnam become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yaghnam went from 118 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Yaghnam?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yaghnam, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%). 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 Yaghnam in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.6% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yaghnam appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.6%), Two or More Races (6.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%). 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 Yaghnam (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 Yaghnam mean?
A Persian surname possibly derived from the village name Yaghnam. 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 Yaghnam (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 are called Yaghnam?
Find out how many people have the last name Yaghnam on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.