2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Yednak
Origin uncertain, possibly a variant of a surname derived from a Polish place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Yednak. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yednak 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.
Bearers in the US
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Yednak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yednak, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.9%) and Hispanic (8.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yednak
The surname Yednak has its roots in Eastern Europe, specifically within the regions of what is present-day Poland and Ukraine. The name is most likely derived from the Old Slavic word "jednak," which means "equal" or "the same." The historical linguistic context suggests that the surname may have originally referred to someone who was perceived as fair or of equal status within a community.
The earliest mentions of the surname Yednak in historical records appear to date back to the 16th century. Manuscripts from the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth era list several individuals bearing the name Yednak, indicating that families with this surname were present in areas such as Galicia and Volhynia. The name's appearance in legal documents from this period suggests that it was relatively well-established by that time.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Yednak can be found in the 1570 tax registers of Lwów, which is present-day Lviv in Ukraine. These documents mention a Jan Yednak who owned a small plot of land and was responsible for paying taxes to the local nobility. Jan Yednak's presence in these records highlights the surname's use by landowning commoners.
In the 17th century, another individual with the surname Yednak appears in historical records as a participant in the Cossack uprisings against the Polish nobility. Ivan Yednak, born in about 1610 and died in 1673, was a prominent figure in the early stages of these conflicts. His involvement is noted in several military chronicles from the period, which detail his leadership in several key skirmishes.
By the 18th century, the name Yednak had spread to various parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, following the partitions of Poland. A notable individual from this era is Katarzyna Yednak, an influential community leader born in 1725 and died in 1799. Katarzyna is remembered for her efforts to ensure fair treatment for serfs in her region, reflecting the equalizing connotation of her surname.
In the 19th century, the surname Yednak continued to be found in regions influenced by Polish and Ukrainian heritage. Historical records from the 1800s indicate the existence of a merchant named Michał Yednak, who was born in 1802 and died in 1877, and was known for trading goods along the Dniester River. His business dealings are documented in regional commercial directories of the time.
During the early 20th century, the name Yednak became associated with education and the arts. Anna Yednak, born in 1883 and died in 1945, was a pioneering female educator and playwright in western Ukraine. Her contributions to local theater and education were celebrated in various academic publications of the period.
The surname Yednak holds a rich historical tapestry, with deep roots in Eastern European culture. Numerous individuals bearing the name have left their mark in various fields, thereby illustrating the name's long-standing significance within the regions of Poland and Ukraine.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yednak
Among Census respondents with the surname Yednak, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.9%) and Hispanic (8.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Yednak 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 Yednak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.3% · 90
- Two or more races11.9% · 14
- Hispanic or Latino8.5% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yednak
Yednak 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,112 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 362 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,112 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 362 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 Yednak 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 | #143,149 | #143,511 | -0.3% |
| Count | 116 | 118 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yednak bearers went from 116 to 118 (+1.7% change). The surname moved down 362 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #143,511.
FAQ
Yednak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yednak?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Yednak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Yednak?
Yednak ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 118 people with the surname Yednak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Yednak.
Has Yednak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yednak went from 116 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 2 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Yednak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yednak, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.9%) and Hispanic (8.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Yednak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.3% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yednak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.3%), Two or More Races (11.9%), Hispanic (8.5%). 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 Yednak (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 Yednak mean?
Origin uncertain, possibly a variant of a surname derived from a Polish place name. 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 Yednak (0.04 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 Yednak?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.