Find out how popular the last name Yarnell is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Yarnell.

Yarnell, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Yarnell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yarnell in America

Yarnell is the 9643rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yarnell surname appeared 3,365 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Yarnell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yarnell to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Yarnell

The surname Yarnell originated in England during the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from a place called Yarnfield, located in the West Midlands region of England. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English words "gearn," meaning "yarn," and "feld," meaning "field," suggesting a connection to an area where wool or yarn was produced or traded.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yarnell can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which lists a person named Adam de Yernefeld. This document was a survey of landowners in England, providing valuable insights into the distribution and variations of surnames during that time period.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Yernfeld, Yarnfeld, and Yarnfelde, reflecting the local dialects and spelling variations common in medieval England.

The Yarnell surname can be traced to several historical figures throughout the centuries. One notable individual was John Yarnell (c. 1545-1597), an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Chichester in the late 16th century.

Another prominent bearer of the name was William Yarnell (1673-1751), a Quaker leader and landowner in Pennsylvania, United States. He was among the early English settlers in the region and played a significant role in the establishment of the Quaker community there.

In the 18th century, Thomas Yarnell (1713-1784) was a respected English physician and author who wrote several medical treatises, including "An Inquiry into the Causes of the Cure of the Putrid Fever" (1778).

Moving forward to the 19th century, Samuel Yarnell (1819-1892) was an American businessman and philanthropist from Philadelphia. He made significant contributions to educational institutions and charitable organizations in the city.

Lastly, Albert Yarnell (1867-1935) was a renowned American architect known for designing several notable buildings in the Los Angeles area, including the Los Angeles City Hall and the Griffith Observatory.

Throughout history, variations of the Yarnell surname have been associated with various locations and place names, such as Yarnfield, Yarnbury, and Yarnton, further reinforcing its locational origins and connections to specific geographic areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yarnell

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Yarnell.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Yarnell was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Yarnell has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Yarnell was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Yarnell, please contact us.

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