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

Yaniv, 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 Yaniv surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yaniv in America

Yaniv is the 157234th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yaniv surname appeared 103 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 Yaniv.

The history of the last name Yaniv

The surname Yaniv originates from Eastern Europe, specifically from regions that are today part of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. The name is of Jewish Ashkenazi origin and is derived from the Hebrew word "Yanoach," meaning "he will be at rest" or "he will repose." This is reflective of the Jewish tradition of adopting surnames that carry significant meanings or represent virtues.

The name Yaniv can be traced back to the early Jewish communities in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth during the 16th and 17th centuries. Jewish families in this region often adopted surnames based on their location or Hebrew terms. Yaniv likely references a connection to peace and rest, which may have been symbolic in Jewish eschatological traditions.

One of the earliest references to the name appears in synagogue records and community documents from the 18th century in regions such as Galicia, once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. These records provide an invaluable glimpse into the lives of Jewish families in these areas and reflect the religious and cultural heritage tied to the surname.

Several historical personalities bore the surname Yaniv. Avraham Yaniv (1785-1855) was a renowned Talmudic scholar who contributed significantly to Jewish thought and literature. His works were studied across Eastern European Jewish communities and later in Jewish diasporas worldwide.

During the 19th century, the name Yaniv became associated with Jewish intellectual and cultural movements. David Yaniv (1840-1912) was a prominent figure in the Haskalah, the Jewish Enlightenment movement that advocated for the integration of Jews into European society and the modernization of Jewish culture.

The early 20th century saw notable figures like Leon Yaniv (1901-1946), an influential Yiddish poet and author whose work captured the experiences and struggles of Eastern European Jewry. His literary contributions remain celebrated in Jewish literary circles.

The Holocaust brought significant disruption to the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe, leading to diasporas that spread the surname Yaniv globally. Post-WWII, Sonia Yaniv (1923-1987) emerged as a notable historian specializing in Jewish history, whose works have been instrumental in documenting and preserving the heritage of Eastern European Jews.

Alexander Yaniv (1935-2009) was a key figure in Israeli agriculture and a pioneer in developing sustainable farming techniques, reflecting the adaptation and contributions of the Yaniv family in various fields and regions throughout history.

The surname Yaniv carries a profound historical and cultural weight, particularly within the context of Jewish history in Eastern Europe. Its legacy is not only found in records and manuscripts but also in the significant contributions of its bearers to religious, intellectual, and cultural spheres over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yaniv

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

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

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

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