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

Yak, 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 Yak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yak in America

Yak is the 131379th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yak surname appeared 129 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 Yak.

The history of the last name Yak

The surname Yak likely originates from Eastern Europe, specifically within the regions that are now part of Poland, Russia, and Ukraine. This name can be traced back to around the 13th or 14th century when surnames were starting to become hereditary. The name Yak is believed to have Slavic roots, deriving from the given name Yakov, which is the Slavic form of Jacob. The name Jacob itself is of Hebrew origin, meaning "supplanter" or "one who follows."

In medieval times, names like Yak would typically be used to signify descendants of a person named Yakov or Jacob, often helping to distinguish individuals in a growing population. Records from ancient manuscripts in Ukraine and Russia from the 12th and 13th centuries reveal variants of the name, including Jak and Ják, demonstrating the phonetic evolution over time.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Yak appears in a 14th-century Polish document referring to a local noble, Ivan Yakowicz, born in 1350 and died in 1420. Yakowicz translates to "son of Yak," showing lineage. Another early mention is found in a Russian archive from the 15th century, detailing the life of Aleksei Yakov, a landowner born in 1465 who played a role in the local council.

A notable bearer of the Yak surname is Nikolai Yak, an interpreter and chronicler in the Grand Duchy of Moscow during the late 15th and early 16th centuries, noted for his translations of foreign manuscripts. Born in 1473, he served under Ivan the Great and passed away in 1541, leaving behind considerable written works.

In the 17th century, Yakov Ivanovich Yak, a Russian merchant born in 1601, further propagated the name through his successful trade routes between Moscow and Poland, significantly influencing regional commerce until his death in 1662.

The surname also appears in the records of the Cossack Hetmanate, referencing a Cossack officer named Roman Yak, born in 1680. His military contributions during the Northern Wars cemented his family’s heritage and prominence in Ukrainian history until his death in 1742.

In the 19th century, the Yak surname saw notable expansion beyond Eastern Europe, with Ivan Yakov Yak, a Polish emigre, moving to Prussia in 1834. Born in 1806, Ivan sought political asylum due to his participation in the November Uprising against Russian imperial rule. His descendants continued to diversify the name's presence across Europe.

These historical references and documented lives showcase the surname Yak's deep-rooted heritage in Eastern Europe, with its derivation from venerable Slavic and Hebrew origins continuing to maintain historical significance through the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yak

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

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 Yak 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.

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

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

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