2000
#1,839
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,950
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.65
Uncommon Last name
Yanez
A patronymic surname of Spanish origin, derived from the given name Yáñez, meaning "son of Yago or Juan."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 28,667 Americans carry the last name Yanez. That puts it at #1,393 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,956 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yanez 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
29K
1 in 11,956
Census rank
#1,393
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
25K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 24,999 bearers of the surname Yanez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1393rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yanez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yanez
The surname YANEZ originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is believed to be a patronymic name derived from the personal name Juan, which is the Spanish form of John. The suffix "-ez" was commonly added to names to indicate "son of" or "descendant of."
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname YANEZ can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a 14th-century census document from the reign of King Pedro I of Castile. This document lists several individuals with the surname YANEZ, suggesting that the name was already well-established in various parts of Spain by that time.
The YANEZ surname is particularly associated with the regions of Galicia and Asturias in northwestern Spain, where it has deep historical roots. Some scholars believe that the name may have originated from the Galician-Portuguese variant "Anes" or "Yanes," which later evolved into the Spanish spelling "YANEZ."
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the surname YANEZ was Rodrigo YANEZ de Ávila (c. 1400-1470), a Spanish nobleman and military leader who served as a member of the Council of Regency during the minority of King Juan II of Castile.
Another prominent individual with the YANEZ surname was Diego YANEZ de Avilés (c. 1530-1594), a Spanish explorer and colonial governor who founded the settlement of St. Augustine in Florida, now the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the continental United States.
During the 16th century, the YANEZ surname gained prominence in the New World as Spanish colonists and explorers began settling in various parts of the Americas. One such individual was Pedro YANEZ de Maldonado (c. 1540-1610), a Spanish explorer who led expeditions in present-day Chile and Argentina.
In the realm of literature, a notable figure bearing the YANEZ surname was Juan YANEZ de la Enzina (c. 1469-1529), a Spanish poet, playwright, and musician who is considered one of the earliest dramatists of the Spanish Renaissance.
Another individual worth mentioning is Jerónimo YANEZ de Espinal (c. 1550-1620), a Spanish painter active in the late Renaissance period, who is known for his religious works and portraits.
As the YANEZ surname spread throughout Spain and its colonies, it continued to be associated with individuals of historical significance, reflecting the rich cultural and historical heritage of this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yanez
Among Census respondents with the surname Yanez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Yanez 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 Yanez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.5% · 23,381
- White5.1% · 1,280
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 111
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 94
- Two or more races0.3% · 77
- Black or African American0.2% · 56
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yanez
Yanez 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
#1,385
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,563
+7,613 bearers (+42.4%)
Per 100,000 8.67
Rank movement Up 454 places
2020
#1,393
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,999
-564 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 8.36
Rank movement Down 8 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,839 | 17,950 | 6.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,385 | 25,563 | 8.67 | +7,613 bearers (+42.4%) | Up 454 places |
| 2020 | #1,393 | 24,999 | 8.36 | -564 bearers (-2.2%) | Down 8 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 Yanez 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 | #1,385 | #1,393 | -0.6% |
| Count | 25,563 | 24,999 | -2.2% |
| Per 100K | 8.67 | 8.36 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yanez bearers went from 25,563 to 24,999 (-2.2% change). The surname moved down 8 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,385 to #1,393.
FAQ
Yanez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yanez?
Name Census estimates that about 28,667 living Americans carry the surname Yanez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,956 residents.
How common is Yanez?
Yanez ranks #1,393 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.36 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 24,999 people with the surname Yanez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (28,667), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.36 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Yanez.
Has Yanez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yanez went from 25,563 recorded bearers to 24,999. That is a decrease of 564 (-2.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,385 to #1,393.
What does the Census say about the background of Yanez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yanez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Yanez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (23,381 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yanez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.5%), White (5.1%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%). 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 Yanez (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 Yanez mean?
A patronymic surname of Spanish origin, derived from the given name Yáñez, meaning "son of Yago or Juan." 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 Yanez (8.36 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 Yanez?
See how many people are called Yanez on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.