2000
#11,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,499
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.93
Rare Last name
Yandell
Derived from a place name meaning "Yann's dell" or "Yann's valley" in Old English, referring to a person's residence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,551 Americans carry the last name Yandell. That puts it at #13,170 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 134,361 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yandell 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Yandell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 134,361
Census rank
#13,170
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,225 bearers of the surname Yandell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13170th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yandell, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yandell
The surname Yandell is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Somerset, during the medieval period. Its earliest roots can be traced back to the Old English words "geat" meaning "gate" and "hyll" meaning "hill," suggesting that the name may have been derived from a topographic feature such as a hill near a gate.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yandell can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, including "Yandhyll" and "Yandhill," indicating its connection to a specific location or landmark.
In the 13th century, records indicate the presence of a family with the surname Yandell residing in the village of Yatton, near Bristol. This village's name is derived from the Old English words "geat" and "tun," meaning "gate town," further reinforcing the connection between the Yandell surname and its geographical origins.
One notable individual bearing the Yandell surname was Sir John Yandell, a prominent landowner and knight who lived during the reign of King Edward III (1312-1377). Sir John Yandell was mentioned in several historical documents, including royal charters and land grants, cementing his place in the annals of English history.
Another individual of note was William Yandell (1566-1628), a renowned scholar and clergyman who served as the Rector of Wonersh in Surrey. Yandell was known for his extensive biblical knowledge and was highly regarded in academic circles of his time.
During the 17th century, a branch of the Yandell family migrated to the American colonies, where they settled in Virginia and Kentucky. One of the most prominent figures from this branch was Wilson Yandell (1782-1856), a physician and educator who co-founded the Louisville Medical Institute, which later became the University of Louisville School of Medicine.
Throughout the centuries, the Yandell surname has been documented in various forms, including Yandall, Yandle, and Yandal, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings in earlier times. Despite these variations, the core essence of the name and its historical roots remain intact, offering a glimpse into the rich tapestry of English heritage and the stories woven into family names.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yandell
Among Census respondents with the surname Yandell, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Yandell 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 Yandell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.8% · 1,820
- Two or more races6.9% · 154
- American Indian and Alaska Native5.1% · 114
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 100
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 19
- Black or African American0.8% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yandell
Yandell 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
#12,565
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,464
-35 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.84
Rank movement Down 1,027 places
2020
#13,170
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,225
-239 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 605 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,538 | 2,499 | 0.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,565 | 2,464 | 0.84 | -35 bearers (-1.4%) | Down 1,027 places |
| 2020 | #13,170 | 2,225 | 0.74 | -239 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 605 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 Yandell 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 | #12,565 | #13,170 | -4.8% |
| Count | 2,464 | 2,225 | -9.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.84 | 0.74 | -11.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yandell bearers went from 2,464 to 2,225 (-9.7% change). The surname moved down 605 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,565 to #13,170.
FAQ
Yandell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yandell?
Name Census estimates that about 2,551 living Americans carry the surname Yandell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 134,361 residents.
How common is Yandell?
Yandell ranks #13,170 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,225 people with the surname Yandell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,551), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Yandell.
Has Yandell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yandell went from 2,464 recorded bearers to 2,225. That is a decrease of 239 (-9.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,565 to #13,170.
What does the Census say about the background of Yandell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yandell, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.1%). 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 Yandell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.8% (1,820 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yandell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.8%), Two or More Races (6.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (5.1%). 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 Yandell (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 Yandell mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "Yann's dell" or "Yann's valley" in Old English, referring to a person's residence. 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 Yandell (0.74 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 common is the surname Yandell?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Yandell, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.