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

Yago, 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 Yago surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yago in America

Yago is the 47706th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yago surname appeared 444 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 Yago.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yago 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 Yago

The surname Yago has its origins in Spain, particularly in the regions of Galicia and Asturias. It dates back to the medieval period, somewhere around the 12th century. The name Yago is derived from the medieval Spanish given name "Iago," which is a variant of Iacobus, the Latin form of the Hebrew name Jacob. The name Jacob means "supplanter," reflecting its Biblical origins.

One of the earliest references to the surname Yago appears in the Cistercian monastery records of Galicia, around the early 13th century. These records highlighted various individuals and families who had taken vows or had significant interactions with the monastery. The variant spellings Yago, Iago, and even Yaco were used interchangeably during this era, before the name became standardized over time.

The Yago family name was mentioned in the 15th-century Asturian records, notably in the town of Gijón. This region saw many families bearing the Yago surname, often occupying roles as local knights or minor nobility. One such notable figure was Don Alvaro Yago, born in 1456, who was a known knight in the service of the Kingdom of León. His contributions to local battles and defense efforts were regularly documented in the ensuing decades.

By the 17th century, the name Yago had spread to other parts of Spain, including Castile and Andalusia. In 1623, records from Seville show an Alonso Yago working as a respected merchant involved in the transatlantic trade with the Americas. His dealings with the New World were critical in establishing a more prosperous business climate for the region.

The name Yago also made its way into English records during the Elizabethan era. The English drama and interaction with Spain brought Anglicized forms and adaptations of many Spanish names into England. A notable example is Thomas Yago, born in 1564, who was an English merchant and had dealings with Spanish traders, an indication of the cross-cultural connections of the period.

In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the surname was Padre Diego Yago, born in 1702. He was a Jesuit priest from the region of Galicia who traveled extensively across the Spanish colonies in the Americas, contributing significantly to the spread of Jesuit educational missions until his death in 1775.

Today, while Yago is less commonly found as a surname globally compared to its origins, its historical legacy is kept alive through local histories and genealogical records that trace the lasting impact of those who bore the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yago

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!