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

Yin, 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 Yin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yin in America

Yin is the 5324th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yin surname appeared 6,548 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Yin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yin 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 Yin

The surname "Yin" has its origins in China, where it can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is believed to have been derived from the Chinese word "yin," which means "shady" or "cloudy." This name was likely given to someone who lived in a shaded or wooded area, or perhaps had a more subdued or reserved personality.

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the name "Yin" was recorded in various historical documents and records, indicating its presence in various regions of China. One notable example is the "Yin Family Genealogy," a collection of records detailing the lineage and history of the Yin clan.

The earliest recorded instance of the name "Yin" can be found in the "Book of Surnames" (Baijiaxing), a comprehensive work on Chinese surnames compiled during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD). This book lists the Yin surname as originating from the ancient state of Lu, which was located in present-day Shandong Province.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the surname "Yin." One of the earliest was Yin Zhi (1021-1088 AD), a renowned scholar and calligrapher during the Song Dynasty. Another prominent individual was Yin Yuzhang (1592-1673 AD), a prominent Confucian scholar and official during the Ming Dynasty.

In more recent times, Yin Haiguang (1900-1949 AD) was a Chinese revolutionary and military leader who played a significant role in the Chinese Civil War. Yin Tao (1891-1969 AD) was a Chinese educator and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of education in China.

Additionally, the name "Yin" has been associated with various place names throughout China, such as Yinxian County in Shandong Province and Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. These place names may have influenced the distribution and prevalence of the Yin surname in certain regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yin

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

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

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

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