2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Yauney
A habitational surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to a locale in France.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Yauney. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yauney 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Yauney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yauney, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yauney
The surname Yauney is believed to have originated from Europe, specifically within the regions that are now France and Germany. The name seems to have surfaced during the late medieval period, around the 14th to 15th century. The earliest areas associated with Yauney include regions such as Alsace and Lorraine, areas that have alternated control between France and Germany throughout history.
The derivation of Yauney might stem from the Old High German root "ja," linked to water or lake, combined with "nei," indicating a new place. This can be interpreted to mean 'new dwelling' or 'new water,' which could be uplifting to settlers around new lakes or water bodies. Another possibility traces the name back to the Old French word "jaune," meaning yellow, possibly indicating a family that lived near yellow fields or contributed something with a yellow hue.
Several historical records provide glimpses into the Yauney lineage. In the 15th century, a reference to a Jean Yauney appeared in a local charter in Alsace, which documented land ownership and familial lines. Though these records were not as comprehensive as the Domesday Book of England, they provide crucial insights. Manuscripts from monastic libraries of the same period also reference a Piers Yauney, a monk who managed agricultural lands in Lorraine.
The earliest recorded instance of the name in France points to a Pierre Yauney, born around 1450, who was noted in municipal records in Strasbourg. He was involved in local governance and commerce, becoming a respected figure in his community. Another significant historical figure is Hans Yauney, documented in 1482 as part of a guild in what is now Hesse, Germany. His contributions to architecture and masonry were crucial in the reconstruction of the town post the Thirty Years' War.
During the 16th century, the surname migrated along with the Huguenots, French Protestants who fled religious persecution. In 1598, a Henri Yauney is noted in records from Antwerp, having been a silk merchant. This marked the entry of the surname into the Low Countries. Following the religious wars in Europe, migration patterns led to the name appearing in England. A 1628 baptism record in London refers to Sarah Yauney, indicating the family's establishment in English society.
By the early 1700s, the Yauney name had traveled to the New World. Johannes Yauney, born in 1675, is documented as one of the early settlers in New Amsterdam (modern-day New York). The American branch of the Yauney family expanded, with records indicating a Philip Yauney participating in the American Revolutionary War around 1776.
Another prominent figure was Matilda Yauney, born in 1812, who became known for her writings and correspondence during the westward expansion in the United States. Her diary, preserved in a historical society, provides personal insights into the life and movement of Yauney families across the Midwest in the 19th century.
Through various historical documents and records, the surname Yauney has journeyed from the heart of Europe to different parts of the world, shaping its bearers' lives through centuries of significant events and migrations. The variations in spelling and pronunciation over time reflect the diverse paths taken by those who carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yauney
Among Census respondents with the surname Yauney, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Yauney 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 Yauney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yauney
Yauney 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
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+7 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,125 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.4%) | Up 5,125 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 Yauney 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 | #149,395 | #144,270 | 3.4% |
| Count | 110 | 117 | 6.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yauney bearers went from 110 to 117 (+6.4% change). The surname moved up 5,125 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #144,270.
FAQ
Yauney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yauney?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Yauney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Yauney?
Yauney ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Yauney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Yauney.
Has Yauney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yauney went from 110 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 7 (+6.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Yauney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yauney, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Yauney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yauney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Yauney (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 Yauney mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to a locale in France. 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 Yauney (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 many people have the last name Yauney?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Yauney, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.