2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Yerg
An English surname derived from the Old English word "geard" meaning an enclosed yard or garden.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Yerg. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yerg 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Yerg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yerg, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yerg
The surname Yerg has its origin in the German-speaking regions of Europe, most notably in Germany around the medieval period. It is thought to derive from an old Germanic root, possibly linked to the word "Jurg," which itself is a variation of "Georg," meaning "farmer" or "earthworker." This etymological connection suggests that the name was likely occupational, referring to someone who worked the land.
Yerg may have originated around the areas of modern-day Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, where German surname formation was heavily influenced by profession and geographical characteristics. Variations in spelling, such as "Jerg" or "Yerch," can be seen in historical documents, testament to the fluid nature of medieval orthography.
One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname appears in a 13th-century register in Munich, where a Hans Jerg was listed as a landowner. This indicates that the Yerg family may have been among the established peasantry or lower gentry during this period.
In the 15th century, a Martin Yerg is documented in church records from Augsburg, where he was noted as contributing funds for the construction of a local cathedral. This suggests a degree of wealth and social standing within the community.
A particularly notable figure with this surname is Conrad Yerg, born in 1620 and deceased in 1678, a scholar who published several dissertations on early Germanic law. Conrad's works were influential in preserving and interpreting medieval legal manuscripts, and his name appears in university records from Heidelberg.
By the 18th century, the Yerg family had spread to other parts of Germany and beyond, with Johann Michael Yerg, born in 1712, making a significant impact in Hamburg as a merchant. His business dealings with the Hanseatic League were well-documented and show the family's progression from agrarian origins to urban commerce.
Lastly, Sophie Yerg, who lived from 1790 to 1865, gained recognition as a midwife and herbalist in the Black Forest region. Her contributions to local medicine were notable, and her methods were passed down through generations, with her name appearing in local medical guides of the time.
The surname Yerg, rooted in agrarian life and evolving through centuries, reflects a rich tapestry of social mobility and regional influence, with each recorded bearer contributing to its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yerg
Among Census respondents with the surname Yerg, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Yerg 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 Yerg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.6% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino8.1% · 9
- Two or more races4.5% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yerg
Yerg 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
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
+8 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,877 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-20 bearers (-15.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,840 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 1,877 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-15.3%) | Down 18,840 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 Yerg 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 | #129,825 | #148,665 | -14.5% |
| Count | 131 | 111 | -15.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yerg bearers went from 131 to 111 (-15.3% change). The surname moved down 18,840 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #148,665.
FAQ
Yerg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yerg?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Yerg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Yerg?
Yerg ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Yerg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Yerg.
Has Yerg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yerg went from 131 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 20 (-15.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Yerg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yerg, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Yerg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yerg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.6%), Hispanic (8.1%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Yerg (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 Yerg mean?
An English surname derived from the Old English word "geard" meaning an enclosed yard or garden. 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 Yerg (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 common is the surname Yerg?
Want to know how many people have the last name Yerg? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.