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

Yahia, 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 Yahia surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yahia in America

Yahia is the 86645th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yahia surname appeared 215 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 Yahia.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yahia 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 Yahia

The surname Yahia originates from the Arabic-speaking world, predominantly found in countries such as Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and even extending to the Levant region. It is derived from the Arabic given name Yahya, which corresponds to the English name John. The name Yahya itself means "he lives" or "living," reflecting a spiritual connotation tied to life and vitality. Historically, the surname Yahia has been rendered in various ways depending on linguistic and regional adaptations, including Yahyah and Yachia.

Yahia, much like many surnames with Arabic origins, can be traced back to medieval Islamic records. The earliest references to the surname appear in various administrative and legal documents from the Abbasid Caliphate during the 8th and 9th centuries. These records typically include tax registers and court documents where individuals bearing the surname Yahia were mentioned among city dwellers and traders.

One notable historical figure with the surname Yahia is Yahia ben Yahia al-Laythi, an influential Islamic scholar born in 767 who played a significant role in the transmission of the religious text Muwatta of Malik ibn Anas. Another figure is Ali Yahia Abdennour, born in 1921, who was a prominent human rights activist and lawyer in Algeria. His work during the Algerian War of Independence earned him a revered place in the country's history.

In medieval Spain, during the Iberian Peninsula’s period of Muslim rule, the name Yahia appeared among Andalusian Jews with roots in Arab-descended communities. Yahia ben Rabbi de Toledo, a Jewish scholar from Toledo in the 12th century, is an example, illustrating the surname's cross-cultural adoption and adaptation.

In the 16th century, records from the Ottoman Empire mention a merchant named Yahia Ibn Ibrahim, who operated trade routes between the Middle East and the Mediterranean. His name appears in multiple trade documents and customs records, underscoring the economic activities of individuals bearing this surname.

Another mention comes from the 19th century with Yahia Dahmani, born in 1836, a notable Algerian leader and insurgent against the French colonial rule. His efforts in the struggle for Algerian independence are well-documented in French colonial archives.

Throughout history, the surname Yahia has thus been borne by figures involved in scholarly, religious, political, and economic fields, testifying to its rich and diverse legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yahia

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

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

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

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