2010
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Yeigh
A locational surname of English origin, derived from the place name "Yeigh" or "Yea" meaning a local enclosure or estate.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Yeigh. 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 Yeigh 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 Yeigh 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 Yeigh, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yeigh
The surname Yeigh traces its origins back to Scotland, with the earliest known records dating from the medieval period, specifically around the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Galloway or Ayrshire, where similar sounding surnames and place names were prevalent. The name might be derived from old Celtic or Gaelic words, indicating either a geographical feature or a family occupation.
One potential origin of Yeigh is the Old Breton word "iah," which means "lord" or "leader." Another possibility is it came from the Gaelic word "Oidheadh," meaning "instruct" or "guidance," suggesting a family of educators or leaders. Over time, dialects and regional language evolution could have morphed these words into Yeigh. Documents from the late 1200s to early 1300s sometimes list variations such as "Yeagh" or "Yae."
Historical references to the name have been found in records like the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which was a census of those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. Historical manuscripts indicate a Rinald Yeigh who was mentioned as holding land in Ayrshire in the early 14th century. This region has many similar names coming from Gaelic origins.
Another early recorded example is James Yeigh, a tenant farmer listed in tax documents from the early 1500s in Lanarkshire. Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, the name appears in various legal documents concerning land holdings and court cases in Scotland, indicating its persistent presence and possibly growing influence in those areas.
In the 18th century, Thomas Yeigh (1734-1802), a notable minister in Edinburgh, contributed to religious texts and was known for his sermons during times of Scottish religious tumult. His works were influential enough to be mentioned in some ecclesiastical histories of the period.
The 19th century saw the name Yeigh being taken to North America, with Alexander Yeigh (1812-1887) emigrating to Canada. He became known for his involvement in local politics and was a key figure in the community of his settlement in Ontario. Another notable individual was Mary Yeigh (1856-1920), an early advocate for women's suffrage in Canada and a writer who published several articles on social reform.
The surname Yeigh, though not exceedingly common, has a rich history spanning centuries, with its roots deep in the Gaelic-speaking regions of medieval Scotland. The people bearing this name have contributed to various facets of society, from religion and education to politics and social reform, marking their influence throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yeigh
Among Census respondents with the surname Yeigh, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Yeigh 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 Yeigh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.4% · 102
- Two or more races5.1% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yeigh
Yeigh appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,283 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 4,283 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 Yeigh 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 | #139,228 | #143,511 | -3.1% |
| Count | 120 | 118 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yeigh bearers went from 120 to 118 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 4,283 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #143,511.
FAQ
Yeigh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yeigh?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Yeigh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Yeigh?
Yeigh 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 Yeigh. 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 Yeigh.
Has Yeigh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yeigh went from 120 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Yeigh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yeigh, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Yeigh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.4% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yeigh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.4%), Two or More Races (5.1%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Yeigh (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 Yeigh mean?
A locational surname of English origin, derived from the place name "Yeigh" or "Yea" meaning a local enclosure or estate. 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 Yeigh (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 have the surname Yeigh?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.