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

Yoakum, 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 Yoakum surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yoakum in America

Yoakum is the 12856th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yoakum surname appeared 2,395 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Yoakum.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yoakum 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 Yoakum

The surname Yoakum has its origins in Germany, where it emerged during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the German word "Jochem," which means "yeoman" or "farmer." This name likely originated as a descriptive term for someone who worked the land or lived in a rural area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yoakum can be found in the town of Wiesbaden, located in the German state of Hesse. In a document dated 1387, a certain Jochem von Wiesbaden is mentioned, indicating the presence of this surname in the region during the 14th century.

As the name spread throughout Germany and neighboring areas, various spelling variations emerged, such as Jochem, Jocham, and Joechem. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of local scribes.

In the late 16th century, the surname Yoakum began to appear in historical records in the Netherlands. One notable individual bearing this name was Willem Yoakum, a merchant from Amsterdam who was born in 1562 and died in 1632.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Yoakum surname made its way to other parts of Europe and eventually to the American colonies. One of the earliest known instances of the name in North America can be traced back to Johann Yoakum, a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania in the early 1700s.

Throughout the centuries, several individuals with the surname Yoakum have achieved notable accomplishments. For example, Henderson King Yoakum (1810-1856) was a prominent lawyer and politician from Texas, serving as a member of the Texas House of Representatives and as a district judge.

Another notable figure was Hubert Yoakum (1868-1947), an American businessman and railroad executive who played a significant role in the development of the Frisco and Rock Island railroad systems.

In the field of literature, Henderson Yoakum (1810-1856) stands out as the author of "History of Texas from Its First Settlement in 1685 to Its Annexation to the United States in 1846," which remains an important historical reference work on the state of Texas.

While the surname Yoakum may not be as widespread as some others, it has left its mark on various aspects of history, from business and politics to literature and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yoakum

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

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

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

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