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

Yeakel, 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 Yeakel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yeakel in America

Yeakel is the 29626th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yeakel surname appeared 795 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 Yeakel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yeakel 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 Yeakel

The surname Yeakel finds its origins in Germany, specifically from the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. In these regions during the Middle Ages, surnames began to be used to distinguish individuals with similar first names, and reflect their profession, location, or a characteristic. The surname Yeakel is believed to have emerged in the late 15th to early 16th century.

The name Yeakel likely derives from the Germanic language, rooted in the old Germanic word "Jäkel" or "Jäkel," which was a colloquial term for a companion or friend. A variant form of the surname is "Jäckel," reflecting how pronunciations and spellings evolved over time within different German regions. Another possibility is its connection to the diminutive form of the name Jakob or Jacob, an angle reflected in historical documents.

Multiple historical references to the surname Yeakel can be found in marriage and baptism records from the 1600s in the rich church archives of Bavaria and Saxony. One prominent early record is from 1649, involving a Hans Yeakel in Leipzig who was recorded in military rolls of returning soldiers from the Thirty Years' War. This war significantly influenced the population and migrations within Europe, affecting surnames and their dispersal.

One well-documented individual is Peter Yeakel, born in 1693 in Saxony, who emigrated to the New World in the early 18th century. He settled in Pennsylvania in 1723 and is notable for being part of the religious Moravian community, contributing to the establishment of some of the early Moravian settlements in the state.

Another significant figure is Johann Michael Yeakel, an early 18th-century weaver from Bavaria who was recorded in the town registry of Augsburg in 1731. His family continued the craft through generations, with his grandson, Georg Yeakel, moving to Berlin in 1779 to establish a successful weaving business there.

In the 19th century, one prominent Yeakel family member was Heinrich Yeakel, born in 1815, who became a respected teacher in Saxony and whose contributions to primary education were acknowledged by local authorities. His son, Wilhelm Yeakel, was influential in Saxony's educational reforms and was recognized for his service in 1882.

The surname Yeakel also surfaces in historical academic circles with Dr. Friederich Yeakel, a renowned botanist in the late 19th century, whose work in plant taxonomy was published widely across Europe. Born in 1847, he made significant contributions before his death in 1903, leaving a legacy within the scientific community.

Across centuries, the surname Yeakel was carried forth through various professions and regions, reflecting a typical pattern of surname evolution influenced by geographical, social, and professional changes.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yeakel

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!