2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Yess
A variant spelling of the English surname Yates, meaning "gate keeper."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Yess. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yess 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Yess in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yess, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yess
The surname Yess is an intriguing one with a history that seems to be shrouded in a certain degree of mystery due to its rarity and potential for various linguistic origins. The most likely country of origin for the surname Yess is Germany. In Germany, surnames often began to form between the 11th and the 15th centuries. The name Yess may have originated from a surname structure common to that region and time, possibly as a short form or variant of a longer surname.
The name Yess could be linked to the German word "Jäsch," which was a diminutive form of the name "Jakob" or "Jacob," which means "he who supplants." Alternatively, Yess might be derived from a geographical location or an occupation, though specific records indicating such an origin are sparse.
One of the earlier recorded examples of the surname can be found in medieval German manuscripts. Johann Yess, born around 1450, was noted in public records in the Bavarian region. The context of his mention suggests he was a tradesman, possibly a tailor or merchant.
By the 17th century, the name began appearing in more formal documents, often associated with families who had immigrated to other parts of Europe or the New World. Records from the mid-1600s indicate a Hans Yess from Württemberg who emigrated to the American colonies. He settled in Pennsylvania, where his descendants continued to carry the name.
Another notable figure included Maria Yess, who was born in 1820 in Frankfurt and became well-known for her contributions to early childhood education reform in Germany. Her work was recognized by academic circles, and several educational treatises from the period mentioned her by name.
From the mid-19th century, yet another reference to the surname appears in Denmark. Anders Yess, born in 1835, is a renowned Danish botanist whose research significantly contributed to the documentation of Scandinavian plant life. His monographs from the late 1800s remain important in the field of botany.
The name also saw some prominence in the early 20th century. Hermann Yess, born in 1882, was a German industrialist known for his innovations in the steel manufacturing industry. His contributions to the industrial sector were noted in several trade journals of the era.
Finally, another individual of note is Clara Yess, an American suffragist born in 1895. She was a prominent figure in the women's rights movement and played a significant role in advocating for the 19th Amendment in the United States, securing women's right to vote in 1920. Clara Yess’s speeches and writings were distributed widely, making an impact that lasted well beyond her death in 1968.
Throughout its history, the surname Yess has been carried by people who have made noteworthy contributions to society, and its etymological roots suggest a blend of personal names and possibly occupational or geographical elements, reflective of the regions and eras in which it appeared.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yess
Among Census respondents with the surname Yess, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Yess 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 Yess surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 97
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yess
Yess 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-23 bearers (-18.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 33,027 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+4 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 7,385 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 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -23 bearers (-18.7%) | Down 33,027 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +4 bearers (+4.0%) | Up 7,385 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 Yess 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 | #160,975 | #153,590 | 4.6% |
| Count | 100 | 104 | 4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yess bearers went from 100 to 104 (+4.0% change). The surname moved up 7,385 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #153,590.
FAQ
Yess surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yess?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Yess. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Yess?
Yess ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Yess. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Yess.
Has Yess become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yess went from 100 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 4 (+4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Yess?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yess, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Yess in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yess appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Yess (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 Yess mean?
A variant spelling of the English surname Yates, meaning "gate keeper." 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 Yess (0.03 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 Yess?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.