2010
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Yankanich
A Belarusian surname of uncertain origin, possibly related to words meaning "young" or "boy."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Yankanich. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yankanich 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Yankanich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yankanich, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yankanich
The surname Yankanich has its origins in Eastern Europe, specifically within the regions that today encompass Ukraine and western Russia. It likely dates back to the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th centuries. The name's structure suggests a Slavic origin, and it may be rooted in old Slavic words or family names that carry specific meanings or historical relevance.
Yankanich is thought to derive from an old Slavic given name, possibly Ivan or Yakov, common throughout the region. The suffix "-nich" is a common patronymic ending in Eastern European naming customs, indicating "descendant of" or "son of." Similar surnames from the region include Ivanovich and Yakovich, both denoting descent from someone named Ivan or Yakov.
Historical references to Yankanich are somewhat rare, but some records from parish registers and local manuscripts from the 16th and 17th centuries do mention the name. One of the earliest recorded instances appears in a land deed from 1587 in the Poltava region of Ukraine, listing a "Mikhailo Yankanich" as a landowner. This underscores the name's presence and prominence in the local gentry.
In the early 18th century, records from a church in Kiev list a "Petro Yankanich" born in 1703 and noted for his role in local governance as a scribe and later as a minor official. Petro Yankanich's contributions to the administrative affairs of his region provide an early example of the surname appearing in public service.
The name makes another appearance in the 19th century, with Ivan Yankanich, who was born in 1812 and became known for his involvement in agricultural reforms within the Russian Empire. Documents from that period highlight Ivan's efforts to modernize farming practices in his community, marking a significant historical footprint for the name.
In literature, Pavel Yankanich, born in 1845, gained some recognition as a poet and writer within Ukraine. His works, though not widely known today, contributed to the regional literary scene and provided cultural insights into the life and times of 19th-century Eastern Europe.
By the early 20th century, the name Yankanich appears again with Anna Yankanich, born in 1896. She was noted in local records for her work in public health and her contributions to improving medical care in rural areas of western Russia. Anna became a respected figure in her community, reflecting the continuation of the surname's association with public service and community involvement.
The historical journey of the Yankanich surname spans over centuries, with roots deeply embedded in Eastern European culture and society. From landowners and officials to reformers and cultural contributors, the Yankanich name has made its mark through various individuals and historical moments.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yankanich
Among Census respondents with the surname Yankanich, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Yankanich 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 Yankanich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 107
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yankanich
Yankanich appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-15 bearers (-12.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,312 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-12.3%) | Down 14,312 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 Yankanich 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 | #137,327 | #151,639 | -10.4% |
| Count | 122 | 107 | -12.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yankanich bearers went from 122 to 107 (-12.3% change). The surname moved down 14,312 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #151,639.
FAQ
Yankanich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yankanich?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Yankanich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Yankanich?
Yankanich ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Yankanich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Yankanich.
Has Yankanich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yankanich went from 122 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Yankanich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yankanich, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Yankanich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yankanich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Yankanich (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 Yankanich mean?
A Belarusian surname of uncertain origin, possibly related to words meaning "young" or "boy." 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 Yankanich (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 Americans have the surname Yankanich?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.