2000
#37,266
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 563
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.21
Rare Last name
Yohannes
Derived from Johannes, a Germanic spelling of the Hebrew name Yohanan meaning "Yahweh is gracious".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,576 Americans carry the last name Yohannes. That puts it at #13,056 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 133,057 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yohannes 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 Yohannes with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 133,057
Census rank
#13,056
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,246 bearers of the surname Yohannes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13056th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yohannes, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yohannes
The surname Yohannes has its roots in the region that is today known as Ethiopia and Eritrea, where it is a common and respected surname. The name is derived from the Ge'ez and Amharic form of the name John, which translates to "Yohannes" in the local languages. The name itself traces back to the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "Yahweh is gracious." This suggests deep religious and cultural significance, as the name was often associated with Christian contexts.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Yohannes likely appear in religious or royal chronicles, where naming conventions were heavily influenced by Christianity spreading through Abyssinia during the early centuries AD. Historical references to the name can be found in ancient texts, including religious manuscripts that date back to the time when Christianity was becoming deeply rooted in Ethiopian culture.
One historically significant figure who bore this surname was Yohannes I, who ruled Ethiopia as Emperor from 1667 to 1682. His reign is noted for attempts to unify the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and counter the growth of Catholicism in the region. His contribution to Ethiopian history underscores the prominence of the name during that period.
Another notable individual was Emperor Yohannes IV, who ruled from 1872 to 1889. He was an influential leader who defended Ethiopia against invasions and sought to modernize the country. His legacy is a testament to the surname's enduring legacy in Ethiopian history.
The surname Yohannes also appears in early written records such as letters and decrees during medieval times, providing insight into its widespread usage among nobility and clergy. These records sometimes highlight variations in spelling, such as Yohanis or Yohannis, reflecting the orthographic fluidity of the period.
Furthermore, Yohannes Haile-Selassie, a renowned paleoanthropologist born in 1961, has gained international recognition for his contributions to the study of human evolution. His work demonstrates the ongoing impact of individuals with this surname in academic and scientific fields.
Another key figure is Yohannes Gebregeorgis, born in 1950, an Ethiopian American librarian and writer who founded Ethiopia Reads, an organization dedicated to increasing literacy in Ethiopia by providing children with access to books. His efforts have earned him global recognition and numerous awards.
Lastly, Yohannes Zewdu, an Ethiopian long-distance runner born in 1947, has made significant contributions to sports, embodying the resilience and determination associated with the surname. His achievements in athletics provided inspiration for many in his home country.
In summary, the surname Yohannes is steeped in history, evolving from ancient roots and contributing to various fields including royalty, religion, academia, and athletics. It remains a prominent and respected name, particularly within Ethiopian culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yohannes
Among Census respondents with the surname Yohannes, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Yohannes 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 Yohannes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American92.5% · 2,078
- White4.1% · 91
- Two or more races2.3% · 51
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yohannes
Yohannes 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
#20,468
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,297
+734 bearers (+130.4%)
Per 100,000 0.44
Rank movement Up 16,798 places
2020
#13,056
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,246
+949 bearers (+73.2%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Up 7,412 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #37,266 | 563 | 0.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,468 | 1,297 | 0.44 | +734 bearers (+130.4%) | Up 16,798 places |
| 2020 | #13,056 | 2,246 | 0.75 | +949 bearers (+73.2%) | Up 7,412 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 Yohannes 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 | #20,468 | #13,056 | 36.2% |
| Count | 1,297 | 2,246 | 73.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.44 | 0.75 | 70.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yohannes bearers went from 1,297 to 2,246 (+73.2% change). The surname moved up 7,412 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,468 to #13,056.
FAQ
Yohannes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yohannes?
Name Census estimates that about 2,576 living Americans carry the surname Yohannes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 133,057 residents.
How common is Yohannes?
Yohannes ranks #13,056 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 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 2,246 people with the surname Yohannes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,576), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 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 Yohannes.
Has Yohannes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yohannes went from 1,297 recorded bearers to 2,246. That is an increase of 949 (+73.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #20,468 to #13,056.
What does the Census say about the background of Yohannes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yohannes, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Yohannes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (2,078 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yohannes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (92.5%), White (4.1%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Yohannes (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 Yohannes mean?
Derived from Johannes, a Germanic spelling of the Hebrew name Yohanan meaning "Yahweh is gracious". 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 Yohannes (0.75 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 Yohannes?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Yohannes, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.