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

Yeargan, 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 Yeargan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yeargan in America

Yeargan is the 38265th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yeargan surname appeared 579 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 Yeargan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yeargan 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 Yeargan

The surname Yeargan has its origins in England and is believed to have emerged during the early medieval period, roughly in the 12th or 13th century. The name is likely to be locational, derived from geographical features or place names. One theory suggests that it originates from the Old English words "geard," meaning an enclosed yard or garden, and "gan," related to going or moving. This would imply that Yeargan might have been used to describe someone who lived or worked in an enclosed yard or garden area.

In early records, the surname appears with various spellings, including Yergan, Yeargon, and Yergon. Such spellings can be attributed to the lack of standardized spelling and the phonetic variations in Middle English. Manuscripts and land records from the medieval period sometimes refer to individuals with this surname, although it is less common than other names from the same era.

One of the earliest documented references to the surname or its variants appears in 14th-century parish records, where a John Yergon is mentioned as a landowner in the county of Shropshire around the year 1370. Another early reference is to a William Yeardgan, who appears in court rolls from the county of Wiltshire in 1415, indicating the spread of the name across different English counties.

In terms of notable historical figures, Benjamin Yeargan of Surrey, born in 1602, was a well-known landowner whose estate contributed significantly to the local economy of the time. Josiah Yeargan, born in 1710 in Gloucestershire, was a notable scholar and clergyman whose theological writings gained some prominence among religious circles of the 18th century.

The name also made its way to the American colonies, with John Yeargan, born in 1742, settling in Virginia by 1765. He became a respected farmer and community leader in the developing American society. His descendants played various roles in the local governance and agriculture of early America.

By the 19th century, a notable individual was Samuel Yeargan, born in 1824 in Tennessee, who was a prominent figure in the American Civil War, serving as a captain in the Confederate Army. His contributions to the war efforts were documented in various military records and personal diaries.

The surname Yeargan, while not exceedingly common, has fascinating historical roots and has been carried by individuals who made their mark in various fields, from academia and religion to military service.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yeargan

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

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

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

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