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

Yentes, 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 Yentes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yentes in America

Yentes is the 102197th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yentes surname appeared 176 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 Yentes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yentes 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 Yentes

The surname Yentes has its origins in Eastern Europe, specifically from the regions that are now part of Poland and Germany. The name appears to have been primarily associated with Ashkenazi Jewish communities. Yentes likely derives from the Yiddish word "yente," which originally meant a gossip or talkative woman, although it has since evolved to have different connotations in various cultures.

Dated to around the 16th century, the name Yentes is found in records of Jewish communities in towns such as Krakow and Warsaw in Poland, and in Berlin, Germany. Historical records, like tax assessments and community lists from the time, contain references to families bearing this surname. The earliest documented appearance of the name Yentes is in a Jewish community census from Krakow in 1580, where a Moshe Yentes is listed.

As the name spread through Europe, variations in its spelling and form began to appear. In German territories, the surname was sometimes spelled as Jentes or Jänte. The name’s phonetic shift in different regional dialects explains these variations. A notable mention from the 17th century includes Isaac Jentes, a merchant from Berlin who played a significant role in the local Jewish community and is recorded in town chronicles from 1652.

In the 18th century, the surname Yentes appears in synagogue records and business documents. Another notable individual is Miriam Yentes, who was significant in her community for her philanthropic efforts and is mentioned in a 1721 Berlin charity register. She was known for her involvement in establishing essential community services such as schools and hospitals.

In the 19th century, the name Yentes continued to appear in Jewish communities across Europe as well as in immigration records as many Ashkenazi Jews moved to the United States. One of the prominent figures with this surname, seen in historical debate records, was Benjamin Yentes, who served as a scholar and teacher in Warsaw, contributing to the better understanding of the Talmud. He was born in 1842 and passed away in 1898, leaving a legacy through his students and writings.

Furthermore, in the archival documents of Ellis Island during the early waves of Jewish immigration to America, families bearing the surname Yentes are recorded. Rachel Yentes, who arrived in New York in 1902 from Warsaw, is one such example. She established her family in the United States, and her descendants continued to carry the surname, which by then had seen some Anglicization in spelling but retained its distinctive pronunciation and cultural heritage.

Through these records and historical references, the surname Yentes demonstrates a rich tapestry of cultural and historical significance that has been carefully preserved over centuries, bearing witness to the migration and perseverance of its bearers through changing times and geographies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yentes

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

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

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

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