2000
#31,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 699
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Rare Last name
Yeboah
An Akan surname originating in Ghana, meaning "reborn" or "born again".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,115 Americans carry the last name Yeboah. That puts it at #11,150 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 110,033 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yeboah surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Yeboah with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 110,033
Census rank
#11,150
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,716 bearers of the surname Yeboah in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11150th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yeboah, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and White (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yeboah
Among Census respondents with the surname Yeboah, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and White (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Yeboah bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Yeboah surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American95.2% · 2,585
- Two or more races1.8% · 50
- White1.7% · 47
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yeboah
Yeboah appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#17,142
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,653
+954 bearers (+136.5%)
Per 100,000 0.56
Rank movement Up 14,197 places
2020
#11,150
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,716
+1,063 bearers (+64.3%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Up 5,992 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,339 | 699 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,142 | 1,653 | 0.56 | +954 bearers (+136.5%) | Up 14,197 places |
| 2020 | #11,150 | 2,716 | 0.91 | +1,063 bearers (+64.3%) | Up 5,992 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Yeboah surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #17,142 | #11,150 | 35.0% |
| Count | 1,653 | 2,716 | 64.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.56 | 0.91 | 62.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yeboah bearers went from 1,653 to 2,716 (+64.3% change). The surname moved up 5,992 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,142 to #11,150.
FAQ
Yeboah surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yeboah?
Name Census estimates that about 3,115 living Americans carry the surname Yeboah. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 110,033 residents.
How common is Yeboah?
Yeboah ranks #11,150 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,716 people with the surname Yeboah. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Yeboah.
Has Yeboah become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yeboah went from 1,653 recorded bearers to 2,716. That is an increase of 1,063 (+64.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,142 to #11,150.
What does the Census say about the background of Yeboah?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yeboah, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and White (1.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Yeboah in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (2,585 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yeboah appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (95.2%), Two or More Races (1.8%), White (1.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Yeboah (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Yeboah mean?
An Akan surname originating in Ghana, meaning "reborn" or "born again". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Yeboah (0.91 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Yeboah?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.