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

Yocum, 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 Yocum surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yocum in America

Yocum is the 5353rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yocum surname appeared 6,504 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 Yocum.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yocum 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 Yocum

The surname Yocum is believed to have originated in Germany, where it was derived from the Germanic personal name "Jocham" or "Joachim." This name ultimately traces its roots back to the Hebrew name "Yehoayachin," meaning "Yahweh establishes."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Yocum name can be found in the records of the Palatinate region of Germany, where a Hans Jocham was documented in the town of Zweibrücken in 1562. The name appears to have been concentrated in this area during the 16th and 17th centuries.

As the Germanic spelling of the name evolved over time, variations such as Jochem, Jochum, and Yochem emerged. These were likely influenced by regional dialects and scribal interpretations.

In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, many German immigrants bearing the Yocum surname began arriving in Pennsylvania and other parts of Colonial America. One notable early arrival was Hans Peter Yocum, who was born in 1709 in the village of Kirchheimbolanden and immigrated to Philadelphia in 1738.

Another significant figure in the early history of the Yocum name was Johann Michael Yocum, born in 1726 in the Palatinate region. He and his family were among the first Yocums to settle in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in the mid-18th century.

Other notable individuals with the Yocum surname include:

1. William H. Yocum (1834-1925), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War who later served as a U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania.

2. Wilbur G. Yocum (1846-1925), a businessman and politician who served as the 14th Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska.

3. Alice Yocum Hare (1874-1942), an American painter and illustrator known for her works depicting Native American subjects.

4. Charles R. Yocum (1891-1969), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in Pennsylvania, including the Allentown Art Museum.

5. Robert E. Yocum (1904-1968), a World War II veteran and businessman who co-founded the Yocum Oil Company in Oklahoma.

While the Yocum name has its origins in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with concentrations found in the United States, Canada, and other countries with significant German immigrant populations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yocum

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

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

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

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