2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Yarmush
A Slavic surname derived from the Russian word "yarmushka," meaning a small cap or beanie.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 195 Americans carry the last name Yarmush. That puts it at #110,517 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,757,715 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yarmush 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
195
1 in 1,757,715
Census rank
#110,517
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
170
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 170 bearers of the surname Yarmush in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 110517th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yarmush, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.2%) and Black (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yarmush
The surname Yarmush is believed to have its origins in Eastern Europe, most likely from the regions that today constitute Ukraine or Belarus. This area was historically influenced by various cultures and languages, including Slavic, Yiddish, and Russian. The name is thought to have first appeared in the late Middle Ages, around the 14th or 15th century.
Yarmush may derive from Slavic roots, particularly from words or phrases related to "yar," meaning "ravine" or "gorge," combined with elements suggesting residential or professional origins. Alternatively, the name could share connections with the Yiddish culture that was prevalent in the area, given its historical Jewish communities.
Historical references to the surname are somewhat sparse but begin to emerge in the 17th and 18th centuries. One of the earliest known records includes a mention in a tax register from 1675 in the region of Galicia, part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This reference lists a family with the surname Yarmush living in a small village near present-day Lviv.
The name appears in several variations over the centuries due to transliteration issues and regional dialects. In some cases, it can be found as Yarmuzh or Yarmonsh. A notable instance of the surname emerging in historical documents is found in archives from the Russian Empire, where a merchant named Ivan Yarmush is recorded in 1722 in the city of Kiev.
Several individuals with the surname Yarmush have made significant contributions to various fields. Among them is Hillel Yarmush (1840-1905), a Jewish scholar and writer based in Vilnius, known for his theological essays. Another is Alexei Yarmush (1875-1933), an engineer and inventor who played a pivotal role in the early industrialization efforts in Belarus.
In the realm of politics, Matvei Yarmush (1888-1941) was a prominent figure in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, serving in various administrative roles during the early 20th century. His work focused on agrarian reforms and local governance.
Lena Yarmush (1892-1965), an artist and sculptor, gained recognition for her contributions to the avant-garde art movement in Russia during the early 20th century. She is remembered for her unique style that blended traditional Slavic motifs with modernist techniques.
A more recent historical figure is Boris Yarmush (1923-1990), a Belarusian physicist who made significant advances in the field of quantum mechanics. His research was pivotal during the post-World War II scientific boom, and he published numerous papers that gained international acclaim.
Throughout its history, the Yarmush surname illustrates the rich cultural tapestry of Eastern Europe, reflecting influences from various linguistic and ethnic traditions. The name continues to be a testament to the diverse heritage of the region, with its bearers contributing to a wide array of scholarly, scientific, and artistic fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yarmush
Among Census respondents with the surname Yarmush, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.2%) and Black (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Yarmush 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 Yarmush surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.6% · 166
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 2
- Black or African American0.6% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yarmush
Yarmush 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
+24 bearers (+23.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,805 places
2020
#110,517
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 170
+42 bearers (+32.8%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 21,689 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | +24 bearers (+23.1%) | Up 13,805 places |
| 2020 | #110,517 | 170 | 0.06 | +42 bearers (+32.8%) | Up 21,689 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 Yarmush 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 | #132,206 | #110,517 | 16.4% |
| Count | 128 | 170 | 32.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.06 | 42.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yarmush bearers went from 128 to 170 (+32.8% change). The surname moved up 21,689 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #110,517.
FAQ
Yarmush surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yarmush?
Name Census estimates that about 195 living Americans carry the surname Yarmush. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,757,715 residents.
How common is Yarmush?
Yarmush ranks #110,517 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 170 people with the surname Yarmush. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (195), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Yarmush.
Has Yarmush become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yarmush went from 128 recorded bearers to 170. That is an increase of 42 (+32.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #132,206 to #110,517.
What does the Census say about the background of Yarmush?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yarmush, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.2%) and Black (0.6%). 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 Yarmush in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.6% (166 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yarmush appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.6%), Hispanic (1.2%), Black (0.6%). 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 Yarmush (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 Yarmush mean?
A Slavic surname derived from the Russian word "yarmushka," meaning a small cap or beanie. 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 Yarmush (0.06 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 last name Yarmush?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Yarmush? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.