Yeagley last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Yeagley

A surname derived from a place name referring to someone from a meadow or lea.

Yeagley, 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 Yeagley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yeagley in America

Yeagley is the 25226th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yeagley surname appeared 982 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Yeagley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yeagley 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 25226 24243 3.97%
Count 982 969 1.33%
Proportion per 100k 0.33 0.36 -8.70%

The history of the last name Yeagley

The surname Yeagley is believed to have its origins in Germany, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. The name is thought to be derived from the Middle High German word "jäger," which means "hunter." This points to the likelihood that the original bearers of the name were involved in hunting or gamekeeping, which were common occupations in rural Germany. The name may have also been spelled "Jäger" or "Jaegele" in the earliest periods, reflecting the regional dialects and orthographic practices of the time.

The earliest records of the surname can be found in various forms in German parish records and legal documents from the 15th and 16th centuries. One notable instance of an early record is the appearance of a Johanne Jaegele in a registry from the town of Augsburg around 1480. This suggests that the name was already well-established in certain parts of southern Germany by the late Middle Ages.

The name later appears in the 17th century with Johann Yeagley, born in 1620 in the Baden-Württemberg region of Germany. His family was known to have been involved in the administration of hunting territories. As such, their surname reflected their professional engagements and social status.

During the waves of emigration from Germany to America in the 18th and early 19th centuries, many individuals bearing the surname Yeagley settled in North America. One notable emigrant was Hans Yeagley, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733. Hans was a farmer who established himself in the burgeoning German-American communities, bringing with him the traditions and customs of his homeland.

In the 19th century, Susanna Yeagley (born 1825 - died 1899) became a prominent figure in the small-town society of Ohio. She was known for her contributions to education and community service, reflecting the ways in which the Yeagley family integrated and thrived in their adopted homeland.

In the early 20th century, another notable individual with this surname is Charles Yeagley (born 1870 - died 1931), who made significant contributions to the field of mechanical engineering. His innovations in industrial machinery had a lasting impact, demonstrating the continued prominence of the Yeagley name in professional and academic circles.

Overall, the surname Yeagley has a rich history that spans several centuries and continents, with roots in the Germanic tradition of naming professions and a legacy carried on by individuals who have distinguished themselves in various fields. Historically, it reflects a connection to the land and the ancient occupation of hunting, while also symbolizing adaptability and prominence in various facets of life through different eras.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yeagley

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

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 Yeagley was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 93.69% 920
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.71% 7
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.93% 19
Hispanic Origin 3.16% 31

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 Yeagley has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 93.69% 97.42% -3.90%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.71% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.93% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 3.16% 1.75% 57.43%

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 Yeagley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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"Yeagley last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/yeagley-surname-popularity/.

"Yeagley last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/yeagley-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Yeagley last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/yeagley-surname-popularity/.

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