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

Yeung, 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 Yeung surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yeung in America

Yeung is the 4556th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yeung surname appeared 7,782 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Yeung.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yeung 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 Yeung

The surname YEUNG has its origins in China, tracing back to the 7th century AD. It is a romanized version of the Cantonese Chinese surname 楊, which means "poplar tree." This name was initially prevalent in the southern regions of China, particularly in the provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi.

The earliest recorded instances of the YEUNG surname can be found in ancient Chinese genealogical records and local histories. One notable mention is in the "Gu Jinshu," a historical text compiled during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), which details the lineage of several prominent YEUNG families.

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the YEUNG surname gained prominence as several individuals bearing this name held prominent positions in the imperial court. One such individual was YEUNG Shih-ting (1033-1107 AD), a respected scholar and official who served as a Grand Councilor.

In the 13th century, the YEUNG surname spread across China as families migrated to different regions. Some variants of the name emerged, such as Yang, Yong, and Yeong, reflecting regional linguistic variations.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have carried the YEUNG surname. These include YEUNG Tsz-ki (1673-1749), a renowned painter and calligrpher during the Qing Dynasty; YEUNG Ching-ling (1898-1973), a prominent political figure and the second wife of Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of modern China; and YEUNG Siu-tong (1899-1983), a celebrated painter and art educator.

Other individuals with the YEUNG surname who have left their mark on history include YEUNG Kuo-huan (1905-1981), a celebrated composer and musician, and YEUNG Sik-leung (1916-1996), a influential Hong Kong entrepreneur and philanthropist.

While the YEUNG surname has its roots in China, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly among the Chinese diaspora in regions like Southeast Asia, North America, and Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yeung

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!