2000
#6,661
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,676
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.73
Rare Last name
Yen
A Chinese surname meaning "strict" or "stern," often referring to a person with a serious demeanor or temperament.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,031 Americans carry the last name Yen. That puts it at #6,238 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 56,832 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yen 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 Yen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.0K
1 in 56,832
Census rank
#6,238
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,259 bearers of the surname Yen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6238th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yen, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and White (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yen
The surname "Yen" is believed to have originated from the Chinese word "Yuan" or "Yuán", which means "source" or "origin". The name is thought to have first appeared in China during the Yuan Dynasty, which ruled from 1271 to 1368.
The Yuan Dynasty was established by Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, and was the first non-Chinese dynasty to rule over the whole of China. During this period, many non-Chinese people, including Mongols and other ethnic groups, settled in China and adopted Chinese surnames.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Yen" can be found in the "Yuan Shi" (History of the Yuan Dynasty), a historical record compiled during the Ming Dynasty. This work mentions several notable individuals with the surname "Yen" who served in the Yuan court or played significant roles during that era.
In the 14th century, a scholar named Yen Hui-ch'ing (1286-1356) was known for his expertise in Confucian philosophy and his contributions to the study of the Analects. Another prominent figure with the surname "Yen" was Yen Tzu-ch'ing (1293-1358), a renowned painter and calligrapher who served as an official in the Yuan court.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the surname "Yen" continued to be used by Chinese families. One notable individual from this period was Yen Sung (1480-1567), a renowned scholar and official who served as a Grand Secretary under the Jiajing Emperor.
In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), the surname "Yen" was also found among Chinese families. One prominent figure with this surname was Yen Fu (1854-1921), a renowned scholar and translator who introduced Western works on philosophy, science, and economics to China.
Throughout history, the surname "Yen" has been associated with several notable individuals, including scholars, artists, and officials. While the name originated in China during the Yuan Dynasty, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yen
Among Census respondents with the surname Yen, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and White (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Yen 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 Yen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander87.6% · 4,607
- Two or more races5.5% · 289
- White3.8% · 200
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 129
- Black or African American0.6% · 34
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yen
Yen 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
#6,671
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,066
+390 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 1.72
Rank movement Down 10 places
2020
#6,238
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,259
+193 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.76
Rank movement Up 433 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,661 | 4,676 | 1.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,671 | 5,066 | 1.72 | +390 bearers (+8.3%) | Down 10 places |
| 2020 | #6,238 | 5,259 | 1.76 | +193 bearers (+3.8%) | Up 433 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 Yen 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 | #6,671 | #6,238 | 6.5% |
| Count | 5,066 | 5,259 | 3.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.72 | 1.76 | 2.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yen bearers went from 5,066 to 5,259 (+3.8% change). The surname moved up 433 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,671 to #6,238.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Yen
FAQ
Yen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yen?
Name Census estimates that about 6,031 living Americans carry the surname Yen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 56,832 residents.
How common is Yen?
Yen ranks #6,238 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,259 people with the surname Yen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,031), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Yen.
Has Yen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yen went from 5,066 recorded bearers to 5,259. That is an increase of 193 (+3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,671 to #6,238.
What does the Census say about the background of Yen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yen, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and White (3.8%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Yen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (4,607 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (87.6%), Two or More Races (5.5%), White (3.8%). 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 Yen (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 Yen mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "strict" or "stern," often referring to a person with a serious demeanor or temperament. 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 Yen (1.76 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 Yen?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.