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

Yik, 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 Yik surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yik in America

Yik is the 111426th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yik surname appeared 158 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 Yik.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yik 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 Yik

The surname Yik has its origins in China, tracing back to the ancient Han Chinese period. The name is believed to have derived from the Cantonese transliteration of the characters 易 (Yì) or 翼 (Yì), with different regions and dialects in China giving rise to variations in spelling and pronunciation. The character 易 can mean "easy" or "change," while 翼 translates to "wing" or "assistance."

Yik appears in historical records from the Ming and Qing dynasties, often associated with scholarly families and local officials. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yik in official manuscripts can be found in the genealogical records during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor (1661-1722), which list a Yik Jinyun, a notable scholar who contributed to the Kangxi Dictionary project.

In medieval Chinese history, the name Yik is mentioned in association with the village of Yik-tsui, a small settlement known for its role in the salt trade during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Old cartographic records show the place name with various transliterations, including Yee and Yik-tsui, reflecting the phonetic interpretations by foreign cartographers.

Among the influential figures with the surname Yik was Yik Shuo-han (1742-1810), a Qing Dynasty official known for his administrative reforms in Guangdong province. Another prominent figure was Yik Wai-lin (1803-1869), who played a crucial role in the Taiping Rebellion, offering strategic military support to the Qing government.

In the modern era, Yik Chi-ming (1895-1962), a prominent businessman and philanthropist in Hong Kong, established several educational institutions, contributing significantly to the region's development. Another notable individual was Yik Ka-leung (1920-1985), a revered calligrapher whose work is still celebrated in Chinese art circles.

The surname Yik, with its historical significance and roots in various regions of China, represents a lineage that has contributed to literature, art, and governance across different periods, reflecting a storied and rich heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yik

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

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

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

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