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

Yahya, 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 Yahya surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yahya in America

Yahya is the 22989th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yahya surname appeared 1,112 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 Yahya.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yahya 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 Yahya

The surname Yahya has its origins in the Middle East, particularly within Arabic-speaking regions. The name first emerged around the 8th century. Yahya is derived from the Arabic word "يحيى", which is closely related to the Hebrew name Yochanan, meaning "God is gracious". Over time, variations of the spelling have appeared depending on regional linguistic influences and dialects.

The historical significance of the surname Yahya can be traced back to a variety of medieval records and manuscripts. One notable document is an Arabic manuscript from the 10th century that mentions a scholar by the name of Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Baladhuri. Belonging to a prominent family of Baghdad, he was an eminent historian who lived from 820 to 892 and his works, such as "Futuh al-Buldan", are regarded as crucial historical sources.

An example of an early recorded instance of the surname is Yahya ibn Abi Mansur, an astronomer in the House of Wisdom in Baghdad around the 9th century. His work in the fields of astronomy and mathematics significantly influenced Islamic Golden Age science, demonstrating the scholarly contributions of individuals bearing this surname.

Another historical figure is Yahya ibn Aktham, a jurist and the chief judge of the Abbasid Caliphate under Harun al-Rashid, born in 787 and dying in 857. His role in the development of Islamic jurisprudence provides valuable insights into the societal norms and legal practices of the time. He is frequently referenced in legal texts from that period.

In Al-Andalus, Yahya ibn al-Hakam al-Bakri, also known as "Al-Ghazal", was a famous poet and diplomat born circa 800 and died in 864. He served in the court of the Emirate of Cordoba and his literary works have been preserved in various medial libraries and archives, reflecting the widespread cultural influence of the name.

Additionally, within the realm of philosophy and theology, Yahya ibn Adi, born in 893 and died in 974, was a notable Christian-Arab philosopher operating in Baghdad. His contributions to early dialogues between Islam and Christianity and his prolific writings on logic and ethics further solidified the surname’s historic prominence.

The surname Yahya continues to denote a rich legacy of intellectual, legal, and cultural contributions across the medieval Arab world, present in diverse historical records and borne by individuals who have left an indelible mark on their respective fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yahya

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

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

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

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