2000
#4,890
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,595
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.44
Rare Last name
Yarborough
Derived from a place name meaning "yard by a fortified town" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,388 Americans carry the last name Yarborough. That puts it at #5,234 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,393 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yarborough 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
7.4K
1 in 46,393
Census rank
#5,234
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,443 bearers of the surname Yarborough in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5234th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yarborough, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.3%. The next largest groups are Black (28.2%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yarborough
The surname Yarborough is of English origin and is believed to have originated from the village of Yarburgh, located in the county of Lincolnshire, England. The name is derived from the Old English words "gearr" meaning "triangular" and "burgh" meaning "fortified place" or "castle."
The earliest recorded mention of the name Yarborough can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled as "Iereburch" and referred to the village of Yarburgh. This suggests that the surname was likely adopted by individuals who resided in or were associated with this particular village.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Yarborough was Sir Ralph Yarborough, who lived during the 13th century and served as a knight in the service of King Edward I. He was granted lands in Lincolnshire for his loyalty and military service.
In the 14th century, the surname was also recorded in various spellings such as "Yereburgh" and "Yerburgh" in various historical documents and records from the counties of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.
Sir Nicholas Yarborough, born in 1501, was a prominent figure in the Tudor era. He served as a Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire and was known for his involvement in local affairs and governance.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Sir Thomas Yarborough (1615-1672) was a staunch supporter of the Royalist cause and fought alongside King Charles I. He was later knighted for his loyalty and bravery.
In the 18th century, the Yarborough family gained significant prominence and wealth through their landholdings and estates in Lincolnshire. One notable member was Lord Yarborough (1722-1810), who served as a Member of Parliament and was a prominent figure in the local gentry.
Another famous individual with the surname Yarborough was Captain John Yarborough (1788-1845), a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the Napoleonic Wars and later served as a Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire.
Throughout its history, the surname Yarborough has been closely associated with the county of Lincolnshire and has been borne by numerous individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, including politics, military service, and local governance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yarborough
Among Census respondents with the surname Yarborough, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.3%. The next largest groups are Black (28.2%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Yarborough 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 Yarborough surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.3% · 4,076
- Black or African American28.2% · 1,818
- Two or more races4.8% · 309
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 160
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 46
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 34
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yarborough
Yarborough 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
#5,119
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,839
+244 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 2.32
Rank movement Down 229 places
2020
#5,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,443
-396 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 2.16
Rank movement Down 115 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,890 | 6,595 | 2.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,119 | 6,839 | 2.32 | +244 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 229 places |
| 2020 | #5,234 | 6,443 | 2.16 | -396 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 115 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 Yarborough 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 | #5,119 | #5,234 | -2.2% |
| Count | 6,839 | 6,443 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.32 | 2.16 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yarborough bearers went from 6,839 to 6,443 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 115 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,119 to #5,234.
FAQ
Yarborough surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yarborough?
Name Census estimates that about 7,388 living Americans carry the surname Yarborough. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,393 residents.
How common is Yarborough?
Yarborough ranks #5,234 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,443 people with the surname Yarborough. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,388), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Yarborough.
Has Yarborough become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yarborough went from 6,839 recorded bearers to 6,443. That is a decrease of 396 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,119 to #5,234.
What does the Census say about the background of Yarborough?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yarborough, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.3%. The next largest groups are Black (28.2%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Yarborough in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.3% (4,076 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yarborough appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.3%), Black (28.2%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Yarborough (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 Yarborough mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "yard by a fortified town" in Old English. 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 Yarborough (2.16 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 Yarborough?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.