Yeboah last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Yeboah

An Akan surname originating in Ghana, meaning "reborn" or "born again".

Yeboah, 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 Yeboah surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yeboah in America

Yeboah is the 17142nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yeboah surname appeared 1,653 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 Yeboah.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yeboah 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 17142 31339 -58.57%
Count 1,653 699 81.12%
Proportion per 100k 0.56 0.26 73.17%

The history of the last name Yeboah

The surname Yeboah has its origins in West Africa, specifically from the Akan people of Ghana. The Akan are one of the major ethnic groups in Ghana, with recorded history dating back several centuries. Yeboah is derived from the Akan language, which belongs to the Kwa branch of the Niger-Congo languages. The name is traditionally associated with the Ashanti and Fante subgroups within the Akan people.

Yeboah has its roots in a day-naming system used by the Akan people. The Akan have a practice of naming their children based on the day of the week they were born, along with considering the child's gender. Yeboah is commonly given to boys born on a Thursday. The female equivalent of Yeboah would be Yaa or Aba. The day names are imbued with meaning and cultural significance, often predicting the child's character traits or destiny.

Historically, the surname Yeboah has been found in oral traditions, folklore, and early colonial records dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Oral history among the Akan people has recorded the name in association with leadership, chieftaincy, and valor. Early written records by European missionaries and traders also include references to prominent individuals bearing the surname Yeboah, highlighting its prevalence among the local populace.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Yeboah is found in the accounts of Reverend Joseph Dunwell, a Wesleyan Methodist missionary who arrived in Ghana in the 1830s. His diaries mention a local chief named Kwame Yeboah, known for his resistance against the British colonial rule and his efforts to protect the Ashanti Kingdom’s sovereign interests.

Several prominent individuals throughout history have borne the surname Yeboah. One of the most famous is Anthony Yeboah, born in 1966, a celebrated Ghanaian footballer who played for clubs in Ghana, Germany, and England. He became famous during the 1990s for his remarkable goal-scoring ability, particularly during his time with Eintracht Frankfurt and Leeds United, earning him international acclaim.

Another notable figure is Kofi Yeboah, an influential 19th-century Ghanaian cleric and educator who played a crucial role in the early stages of Christian missionary education in Ghana. His contributions to the spread of literacy and Western education among the Akan people were instrumental during the colonial period.

Mercy Yeboah, born in 1934, was a distinguished Ghanaian community leader and women’s rights activist. She was known for her advocacy on behalf of rural women and her efforts to provide them with access to education and healthcare. Her work earned her numerous accolades and a lasting legacy within Ghanaian society.

Yaw Yeboah, a chief of the Fante people in the late 1800s, was another prominent figure. Known for his diplomacy and leadership during turbulent times, Yaw Yeboah managed to maintain relative peace and prosperity for his people amidst the pressures of British colonization.

Martha Yeboah, born in 1887, was a notable Ghanaian author and historian who documented the history and customs of the Akan people. Her extensive writings have provided valuable insights into the cultural and social heritage of the Akan.

The surname Yeboah, rich with cultural and historical significance, continues to be a marker of Akan heritage. Its enduring presence in historical records and contemporary society highlights the lasting legacy of the Akan people and their traditions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yeboah

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

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 Yeboah was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 1.09% 18
Non-Hispanic Black Only 96.49% 1,595
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.75% 29
Hispanic Origin 0.42% 7

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 1.09% 2.15% -65.43%
Black 96.49% 91.42% 5.40%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.75% 5.01% -96.45%
Hispanic 0.42% 1.00% -81.69%

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

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

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

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

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

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