2000
#30,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 710
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Rare Last name
Yilmaz
A Turkish surname meaning "firm" or "steadfast".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,444 Americans carry the last name Yilmaz. That puts it at #13,614 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 140,243 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yilmaz 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Yilmaz with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 140,243
Census rank
#13,614
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,131 bearers of the surname Yilmaz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13614th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yilmaz, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yilmaz
The surname Yilmaz originated from Turkey, dating back to times before the Ottoman Empire. Predominantly found in the regions of Anatolia and modern-day Turkey, the name is derived from Turkish words and traditional roots. The term Yilmaz is formed by combining two Turkish words: "yil" meaning "year" or in some contexts "fear," and "maz" which is a suffix meaning "not" or "without." Thus, Yilmaz can be interpreted to mean "fearless" or "unwavering."
Old Turkish military records and Ottoman documents from as early as the 15th century mention individuals with the surname Yilmaz. One of the earliest mentions of the name can be found in tax records from the Ottoman era, demonstrating its usage by families of warriors and administrative personnel. The name was likely adopted by those who were either brave in battle or held upstanding positions within their communities.
The first recorded example of the name Yilmaz appears in the 16th century within the provincial Ottoman archives. An example from these records is Ali Yilmaz, a soldier renowned for his bravery during the early Ottoman conquests. Similarly, the name appears in various local censuses and military registers throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, solidifying its prevalence across the Ottoman Empire.
One famous bearer of the surname Yilmaz was Dervis Yilmaz, an influential Ottoman military leader born in 1635, who played a significant role in the battles against the Safavid Empire and was known for his strategic expertise. Another well-known individual was Kemal Yilmaz, a 19th-century poet and philosopher who contributed significantly to the cultural and intellectual movements in Turkey during his time.
In literature, the name gained further prominence through Ahmet Yilmaz, a prominent 20th-century Turkish novelist whose works often explored themes of courage and resilience. His influence extended beyond literature into the realms of social and political activism in Turkey.
The surname Yilmaz is further noted in history with respect to Mevlüt Yilmaz, a respected Turkish historian and academic born in 1942, whose extensive research on Ottoman history and Turkish folklore has been influential in contemporary studies. Throughout Turkish history, the name Yilmaz has been associated with a legacy of valor, endurance, and intellectual contribution, making it a prominent and respected surname in Turkey.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yilmaz
Among Census respondents with the surname Yilmaz, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Yilmaz 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 Yilmaz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 2,007
- Two or more races2.6% · 56
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 30
- Black or African American1.0% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yilmaz
Yilmaz 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
#19,075
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,427
+717 bearers (+101.0%)
Per 100,000 0.48
Rank movement Up 11,854 places
2020
#13,614
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,131
+704 bearers (+49.3%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Up 5,461 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #30,929 | 710 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,075 | 1,427 | 0.48 | +717 bearers (+101.0%) | Up 11,854 places |
| 2020 | #13,614 | 2,131 | 0.71 | +704 bearers (+49.3%) | Up 5,461 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 Yilmaz 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 | #19,075 | #13,614 | 28.6% |
| Count | 1,427 | 2,131 | 49.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.48 | 0.71 | 48.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yilmaz bearers went from 1,427 to 2,131 (+49.3% change). The surname moved up 5,461 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,075 to #13,614.
FAQ
Yilmaz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yilmaz?
Name Census estimates that about 2,444 living Americans carry the surname Yilmaz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 140,243 residents.
How common is Yilmaz?
Yilmaz ranks #13,614 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,131 people with the surname Yilmaz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,444), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Yilmaz.
Has Yilmaz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yilmaz went from 1,427 recorded bearers to 2,131. That is an increase of 704 (+49.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #19,075 to #13,614.
What does the Census say about the background of Yilmaz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yilmaz, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.4%). 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 Yilmaz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (2,007 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yilmaz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Two or More Races (2.6%), Hispanic (1.4%). 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 Yilmaz (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 Yilmaz mean?
A Turkish surname meaning "firm" or "steadfast". 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 Yilmaz (0.71 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 share the surname Yilmaz?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.