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

Yeoman, 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 Yeoman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yeoman in America

Yeoman is the 13259th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yeoman surname appeared 2,302 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Yeoman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yeoman 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 Yeoman

The surname "YEOMAN" has its origins in medieval England, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "geman," which means a villager or a peasant freeholder. The word later evolved into "yeman" and eventually "yeoman."

The earliest recorded use of the surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1194, where a person named Richard le Yeman is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, referring to a John le Yeman.

Yeoman was initially used as an occupational surname, referring to a class of small freeholders who owned and cultivated their own land. They were considered a cut above the ordinary peasantry but below the gentry or nobility. The yeomen played a significant role in medieval English society, often serving as archers or foot soldiers in the military.

One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Yeoman was Sir John Yeoman, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire, who lived in the late 14th century. He was a prominent figure in the city of Lincoln and served as the city's Mayor in 1395.

Another well-known individual with this surname was Robert Yeoman, a renowned architect from the 16th century. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings, including parts of the Hampton Court Palace in London, which was commissioned by King Henry VIII.

In the 17th century, William Yeoman was a prominent lawyer and politician from Yorkshire. He served as a Member of Parliament for Knaresborough from 1640 to 1653 and played an active role in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentarian cause.

During the 18th century, John Yeoman was a notable writer and poet from Warwickshire. He published several works, including a collection of poems titled "The Poetical Works of John Yeoman" in 1772.

Another figure of note was Thomas Yeoman, a renowned clockmaker from London, who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was known for his exceptional craftsmanship and produced some of the finest clocks of his time, many of which are still highly prized by collectors today.

The surname Yeoman has maintained its presence throughout the centuries, with various spellings and variations emerging in different regions, such as Yeman, Yoman, and Yeomen. It continues to be a recognizable surname, particularly in areas of England where it originated.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yeoman

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

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

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

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