2000
#111,740
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 146
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Yanover
A surname likely derived from a place name or person's name of Slavic or Russian origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 156 Americans carry the last name Yanover. That puts it at #130,360 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,197,143 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yanover 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
156
1 in 2,197,143
Census rank
#130,360
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
136
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 136 bearers of the surname Yanover in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 130360th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yanover, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yanover
The surname Yanover traces its origins to Eastern Europe, specifically to the regions that now encompass Belarus and western Russia. The surname is likely derived from the town of Yanov in Belarus, historically significant and an area with fluctuating borders due to various European conflicts and shifting sovereignties. The name itself can be broken down to "Yanov-er," with "Yanov" indicating the town and the suffix "er" signifying "from," hence "from Yanov."
Yanover can also be linked to the Hebrew word "Yavan," which signifies Greece in biblical context, hinting at the migratory patterns of Jewish communities who may have adopted the surname to signify their place of origin. The town of Yanov, presently known as Ivanava, had a significant Jewish population who might have borne the surname as they migrated to different parts of Europe.
Historically, the name Yanover appears in various legal and civil records dating back to the 18th century. One of the earliest recorded examples can be found in the mid-1700s within the Russian Empire's census documents. Families bearing this surname were often recorded as merchants or scholars, professions that required travel and thereby facilitated the spread of the name across European territories.
One notable individual with the surname Yanover is Rabbi Shimon Yanover, born in 1760 and known for his religious writings and teachings in Lithuania. Another historical figure is Moshe Yanover, born in 1825, who was a well-known philanthropist and trader in Belarus. The name also appeared in various literary references, such as in a collection of Jewish folk tales from the 19th century, where a character named Leah Yanover exemplified virtues of wisdom and modesty.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, several members of the Yanover family emigrated to Western Europe and the Americas, leading to increased recognition of the surname. David Yanover, born in 1845, distinguished himself as a scholar of Talmudic studies in Germany. Another significant individual, Esther Yanover, born in 1882, was known for her contributions to Jewish educational advancements in London.
Isaac Yanover, born in 1901, made significant contributions to the arts as a painter in Paris during the interwar period. His works, which often depicted themes from Jewish life and folklore, attracted a substantial audience and affirmed the cultural presence of the Yanover surname.
Jacob Yanover, born in 1897, was a notable figure in the Zionist movement and played a crucial role in the establishment of several educational institutions in Palestine during the British Mandate period. His contributions to the development of Israeli society ensure that the surname Yanover remains historically significant.
Through these individuals and the historical documentation associated with the surname Yanover, a rich tapestry of cultural and societal contributions emerges, demonstrating the lasting impact of this Eastern European surname on a global scale.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yanover
Among Census respondents with the surname Yanover, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Yanover 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 Yanover surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 125
- Black or African American2.9% · 4
- Two or more races2.2% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yanover
Yanover 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
#111,426
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 158
+12 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 314 places
2020
#130,360
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
-22 bearers (-13.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 18,934 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #111,740 | 146 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #111,426 | 158 | 0.05 | +12 bearers (+8.2%) | Up 314 places |
| 2020 | #130,360 | 136 | 0.05 | -22 bearers (-13.9%) | Down 18,934 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 Yanover 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 | #111,426 | #130,360 | -17.0% |
| Count | 158 | 136 | -13.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | -9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yanover bearers went from 158 to 136 (-13.9% change). The surname moved down 18,934 positions in the national ranking, going from #111,426 to #130,360.
FAQ
Yanover surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yanover?
Name Census estimates that about 156 living Americans carry the surname Yanover. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,197,143 residents.
How common is Yanover?
Yanover ranks #130,360 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 136 people with the surname Yanover. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (156), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Yanover.
Has Yanover become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yanover went from 158 recorded bearers to 136. That is a decrease of 22 (-13.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #111,426 to #130,360.
What does the Census say about the background of Yanover?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yanover, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Yanover in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (125 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yanover appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Black (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Yanover (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 Yanover mean?
A surname likely derived from a place name or person's name of Slavic or Russian origin. 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 Yanover (0.05 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 surname Yanover?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.