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

Yeckley, 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 Yeckley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yeckley in America

Yeckley is the 48347th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yeckley surname appeared 437 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 Yeckley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yeckley 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 Yeckley

The surname Yeckley is believed to have originated from Germany, likely emerging during the medieval period. The name appears to have its roots in the Rhineland-Palatinate or Bavaria regions, where many surnames developed as families distinguished themselves through trade, location, or physical attributes. The Germanic origins of Yeckley suggest a derivation from a local characteristic, a geographical feature, or the occupation of an early bearer.

The name Yeckley could be linked to various old German words like "Jäckel" or "Jeckel," which might be diminutive forms of the name Jakob (Jacob). These diminutives would have referenced a family patriarch, showing veneration or familial lineage. German surnames often adopted suffixes like -le or -ly, which could translate to "Little Jakob" or "Son of Jakob." Variations of spelling over time were common due to regional dialects and the phonetic evolution of language.

Historical references to surnames similar to Yeckley can be found in a variety of old records and manuscripts. Local parish records, tax rolls, and land grants from the late medieval to the early modern period sometimes note similar family names. The name Yeckley itself doesn't prominently feature in exceedingly well-known historical documents like the Domesday Book, a reflection of its likely East Frankish origins as opposed to Norman.

Among the earliest recorded instances of the Yeckley name or its variants are references in church records from the 16th and 17th centuries. An example is Hans Jeckel, born around 1550 in Bavaria, who is noted in archival documents listing tax collections. Another individual, Johannes Jäckel, baptized in 1602 in the Rhineland, appears in church records underscoring the family's engagement with local institutions and possibly their evolving Reformation affiliations.

Over time, branches of the Yeckley family migrated due to economic opportunities, religious persecution, or military upheaval, spreading the surname beyond its origins. By the 18th century, the name had reached the New World. Jacob Yeckley, born in 1732 in the Rhineland-Palatinate, is recorded as having emigrated to Pennsylvania during the wave of Germanic immigration known as the Pennsylvania Dutch movement. His descendants continued to carry and transform the name in their new homeland.

In more recent centuries, different notables emerged with the surname Yeckley. One, Johann Georg Yeckley, born in 1798, was documented in legal records during a boundary dispute in Bavaria. In America, an individual named Samuel Yeckley, born in 1810, appears in records from Ohio detailing his service in the early years of the railway construction boom. Another notable figure, Maria Yeckley, born in 1850, was recognized for her contributions to teaching in a German-speaking community in Wisconsin.

The name has undoubtedly varied in its spelling over the centuries, with forms such as Jäckel, Jeckel, and Jeckley appearing in different regions and time periods. These variations all point to a shared etymology and cultural significance, reflecting the journeys and histories of those who bore the surname. Through these centuries, the name Yeckley has woven a rich tapestry that mirrors the broader currents of European and American history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yeckley

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

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

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

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