2000
#5,841
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,426
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.01
Rare Last name
Yim
A Chinese surname meaning "strict" or "stern," likely referring to an ancestor's personality traits or moral character.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,201 Americans carry the last name Yim. That puts it at #5,359 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,598 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yim 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 Yim with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.2K
1 in 47,598
Census rank
#5,359
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,280 bearers of the surname Yim in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5359th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yim, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and White (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yim
The surname Yim originated in China, where it has been traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is believed to have derived from the Chinese word "yin," which means "forest" or "shade." The name was likely given to someone who lived near a wooded area or worked with forestry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yim can be found in the "Song Hui Yao Ji Guan," a compilation of government records from the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). This document mentions a person named Yim Shao-xing, who served as a military commander during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong (997-1022 AD).
During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), there was a notable scholar and official named Yim Yuanzhang (1328-1398). He was born in Fengyang County, Anhui Province, and served as a high-ranking official in the imperial court. Yim Yuanzhang was known for his contributions to the development of Neo-Confucianism.
In the 18th century, there was a famous painter and calligrapher named Yim Zhengming (1701-1767). He was born in Zhejiang Province and was renowned for his landscape paintings and his mastery of the "cursive script" calligraphic style.
Another notable figure with the surname Yim was Yim Wending (1898-1976), a prominent Chinese diplomat and politician. He served as the Foreign Minister of the Republic of China from 1949 to 1954 and played a significant role in the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and other countries after World War II.
In the world of literature, one prominent figure with the surname Yim was Yim Sang (1955-present), a renowned Chinese writer and poet. Born in Hubei Province, Yim Sang is known for his novels and short stories that explore themes of modern Chinese society and cultural identity.
While the surname Yim has its roots in ancient China, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly in regions with significant Chinese diaspora populations. However, the name's origins can be traced back to the forests and wooded areas of China, where it was likely first bestowed upon an individual or family many centuries ago.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yim
Among Census respondents with the surname Yim, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and White (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Yim 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 Yim surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander89.9% · 5,647
- Two or more races4.5% · 283
- White3.2% · 203
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 112
- Black or African American0.5% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yim
Yim 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
#5,650
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,144
+718 bearers (+13.2%)
Per 100,000 2.08
Rank movement Up 191 places
2020
#5,359
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,280
+136 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 2.10
Rank movement Up 291 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,841 | 5,426 | 2.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,650 | 6,144 | 2.08 | +718 bearers (+13.2%) | Up 191 places |
| 2020 | #5,359 | 6,280 | 2.10 | +136 bearers (+2.2%) | Up 291 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 Yim 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 | #5,650 | #5,359 | 5.2% |
| Count | 6,144 | 6,280 | 2.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.08 | 2.10 | 1.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yim bearers went from 6,144 to 6,280 (+2.2% change). The surname moved up 291 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,650 to #5,359.
FAQ
Yim surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yim?
Name Census estimates that about 7,201 living Americans carry the surname Yim. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,598 residents.
How common is Yim?
Yim ranks #5,359 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,280 people with the surname Yim. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,201), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Yim.
Has Yim become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yim went from 6,144 recorded bearers to 6,280. That is an increase of 136 (+2.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,650 to #5,359.
What does the Census say about the background of Yim?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yim, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and White (3.2%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Yim in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (5,647 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yim appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (89.9%), Two or More Races (4.5%), White (3.2%). 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 Yim (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 Yim mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "strict" or "stern," likely referring to an ancestor's personality traits or moral character. 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 Yim (2.10 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 are called Yim?
See how many people have the surname Yim on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.