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

Yee, 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 Yee surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yee in America

Yee is the 1740th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yee surname appeared 20,591 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Yee.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yee 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 Yee

The surname Yee originated in China, specifically in the Guangdong province during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is derived from the Chinese word "Yi" which means "second" or "one of two." The name was likely given to a second son or a younger sibling in a family.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Yee surname can be found in the "Pu Ding Yuan" genealogical records from the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), which mention a Yee family from the Xinhui region of Guangdong. This suggests that the name has been in use for over a millennium.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the Yee surname gained prominence in the coastal regions of Guangdong, particularly in the cities of Taishan and Kaiping. These areas were known for their strong clans and lineage organizations, which helped preserve and document the history of surnames like Yee.

In the early 20th century, many individuals with the Yee surname emigrated from Guangdong to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Southeast Asia. This diaspora helped to spread the name globally.

Notable historical figures with the Yee surname include:

1. Yee Pang-tsu (1559-1631), a renowned Chinese scholar and poet during the late Ming Dynasty.
2. Yee Ching (1775-1835), a Chinese martial artist and founder of the Yee Gee Tuan martial arts system.
3. Yee Fung (1857-1928), a prominent Chinese businessman and philanthropist who established the first Chinese-owned bank in California.
4. Yee Shun-hing (1908-1987), a Hong Kong politician and member of the Legislative Council.
5. Yee Chong-ming (1900-1992), a Chinese historian and author who documented the history of overseas Chinese communities.

The Yee surname has also been associated with various place names throughout history. For example, the village of Yee Pok in Guangdong's Taishan County was named after a Yee family that settled there centuries ago.

While the origins of the Yee surname can be traced back to ancient China, it has since become a part of the cultural heritage of many communities around the world, reflecting the global reach and influence of Chinese migration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yee

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

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

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

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