2010
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Yanqui
A surname derived from the Spanish term for American, used to refer to people from the United States.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Yanqui. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yanqui 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Yanqui in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yanqui, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.0%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yanqui
The surname Yanqui has a unique and fascinating history. Originating from the United States, it is derived from the term "Yankee," which itself has a complex etymology. The term "Yankee" was originally used in the 17th century by Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam (now New York) to refer to English settlers in neighboring areas. The word likely comes from the Dutch "Janke," which is a diminutive form of the name Jan, meaning "Little John."
The surname Yanqui likely emerged in the 18th or 19th century as a phonetic variation among non-native English speakers, particularly in Latin America. Its earliest recorded mentions suggest it appeared with the expansion of American influence in the Western Hemisphere. Historical documents from the early 19th century, such as passenger lists of immigrants, show instances of the name Yanqui, indicating it was used by individuals of possibly mixed Dutch, English, and Spanish heritage.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Yanqui can be found in a 1823 ship manifest, documenting a John Yanqui arriving in Havana, Cuba. This period aligns with increased American maritime activity in the Caribbean. Another notable instance is José Yanqui, mentioned in a 1857 Mexican census, who was a merchant in Veracruz, believed to be of American descent.
Throughout history, individuals with the surname Yanqui have appeared sporadically in records, highlighting their diverse backgrounds. María Yanqui, a well-documented figure, was born in 1892 and became a prominent cultural advocate in Lima, Peru, during the early 20th century. Her work emphasized the blending of American and Peruvian traditions.
In the field of literature, Carlos Yanqui, born in 1929, was a notable figure in Puerto Rican letters. His novels often explored themes of identity and migration, reflecting his own family’s complex heritage and travels between the United States and Puerto Rico. His works remain influential in Caribbean literary studies.
Another individual of significance, Ana Yanqui, born in 1945, made considerable contributions to the field of education in Argentina. Her efforts in bilingual education were instrumental in improving academic opportunities for descendants of American immigrants and indigenous communities.
Lastly, Benjamin Yanqui, recorded in Chilean historical records from the early 20th century, was known for his architectural prowess. Born in 1881, he contributed to several landmark buildings in Santiago and Valparaíso, blending North American styles with local Chilean designs.
The surname Yanqui is a testament to the historical migration and cultural blending that characterize the Americas. Each recorded instance provides a snapshot of the diverse paths taken by those who bore it, reflecting broader socioeconomic and political trends over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yanqui
Among Census respondents with the surname Yanqui, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.0%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Yanqui 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 Yanqui surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.0% · 107
- White6.1% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yanqui
Yanqui 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
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-6 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,453 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 7,453 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 Yanqui 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 | #138,304 | #145,757 | -5.4% |
| Count | 121 | 115 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yanqui bearers went from 121 to 115 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 7,453 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #145,757.
FAQ
Yanqui surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yanqui?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Yanqui. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Yanqui?
Yanqui ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Yanqui. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Yanqui.
Has Yanqui become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yanqui went from 121 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Yanqui?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yanqui, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.0%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Yanqui in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yanqui appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.0%), White (6.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Yanqui (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 Yanqui mean?
A surname derived from the Spanish term for American, used to refer to people from the United States. 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 Yanqui (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 common is the surname Yanqui?
Find out how many people have the last name Yanqui on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.