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

Yeary, 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 Yeary surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yeary in America

Yeary is the 11223rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yeary surname appeared 2,818 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 Yeary.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yeary 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 Yeary

The surname YEARY has its origins in England, emerging around the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "gearu," meaning "ready" or "prepared." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was particularly well-prepared or diligent in their work.

According to historical records, the earliest known bearers of the YEARY surname hailed from the counties of Wiltshire and Somerset in southwestern England. The name appeared in various spellings, such as YERY, YERIE, and YEARIE, reflecting the regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling during that period.

One of the earliest documented references to the YEARY surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire from 1327, which mentions a John YERY. Additionally, the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Somerset from 1332 record a William YEARY as a taxpayer in the village of Pilton.

In the 15th century, the YEARY surname appeared in the records of the Church of St. Mary's in Taunton, Somerset, where a Thomas YEARY was christened in 1487. This church still stands today and has preserved many historical records from that era.

Notable individuals with the YEARY surname throughout history include:

1. Richard YEARY (c. 1520 - 1587), a prominent landowner and merchant from Salisbury, Wiltshire, who played a significant role in the local wool trade.

2. Elizabeth YEARY (1612 - 1678), a Puritan settler who emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635 and became one of the founders of the town of Andover.

3. John YEARY (1745 - 1821), a British soldier who served in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Upper Canada (modern-day Ontario).

4. Sarah YEARY (1792 - 1868), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's education in the early 19th century United States. She established one of the first female seminaries in New England.

5. William YEARY (1825 - 1901), a renowned architect from London who designed several notable buildings, including the West Brompton Station and the Hammersmith Town Hall.

While the YEARY surname may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has since become a proud part of the heritage and history of many families, spanning multiple generations and continents.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yeary

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Yeary, 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!