2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Yakim
Of Semitic origin, meaning "God will establish or uphold".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Yakim. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yakim 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Yakim in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yakim, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Black (6.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yakim
The surname Yakim originates from Eastern Europe, most prominently within Slavic-speaking countries. It is most commonly found in regions such as Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and Bulgaria. The name likely has its roots in the Late Middle Ages, emerging around the 14th to 15th centuries in these regions.
Yakim is believed to be a patronymic surname derived from the given name Yakiv, which is the Slavic form of Jacob, itself derived from the Hebrew name Ya'akov. Yakiv and its variations were common among Christian communities in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and surnames were often formed by taking the given name of an ancestor and modifying it, showing descent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of a similar name can be found in old Russian records from the 16th century, where the name Yakimenko appears, indicating "son of Yakim." In Poland, variations like Jakimowicz also emerged, showing the name's spread and evolution. Historical manuscripts and church records from the 15th and 16th centuries frequently list individuals with surnames derived from Yakim, reflecting its widespread use.
In the realm of notable individuals, Yakim Dodov (1650-1722) was a Bulgarian cleric known for his religious contributions during the Ottoman rule. Another person of historical significance was Ivan Yakimov, a Russian merchant born in 1745, who played a significant role in the trade development between Russia and the Ottoman Empire. In Ukraine, a Cossack leader by the name of Petro Yakimenko led several campaigns in the mid-17th century, highlighting the name's presence in military leadership.
Moving into the 19th century, Yakim Rabinovich, born in 1830, was a notable Jewish scholar and writer in Poland, contributing significantly to the Jewish Enlightenment movement. In the realm of sports, Yakim Karpov (1880-1940), a Russian wrestler, gained fame for his achievements in national and international competitions, illustrating the surname's association with various fields.
Throughout history, the surname Yakim and its variants have been recorded in various forms, reflecting regional linguistic influences and cultural integration. Its enduring presence in historical documents, church records, and among notable figures underscores its significance in Eastern European heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yakim
Among Census respondents with the surname Yakim, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Black (6.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Yakim 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 Yakim surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 108
- Black or African American6.0% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yakim
Yakim appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+9 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+7 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,424 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+9.0%) | Down 16 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.4%) | Up 5,424 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 Yakim 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 | #150,452 | #145,028 | 3.6% |
| Count | 109 | 116 | 6.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yakim bearers went from 109 to 116 (+6.4% change). The surname moved up 5,424 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #145,028.
FAQ
Yakim surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yakim?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Yakim. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Yakim?
Yakim ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Yakim. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Yakim.
Has Yakim become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yakim went from 109 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 7 (+6.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Yakim?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yakim, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Black (6.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Yakim in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yakim appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Black (6.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Yakim (2000, 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 Yakim mean?
Of Semitic origin, meaning "God will establish or uphold". 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 Yakim (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 have the last name Yakim?
Want to know how many people have the last name Yakim? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.