2000
#12,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,315
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.86
Rare Last name
Yohe
Derived from the German name "Johe", likely referring to someone who lived near a yew tree.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,577 Americans carry the last name Yohe. That puts it at #13,050 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 133,005 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yohe 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.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 133,005
Census rank
#13,050
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,247 bearers of the surname Yohe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13050th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yohe, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yohe
The surname YOHE has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Johe," which referred to a meadow or pasture. This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with those who worked or lived near such areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the YOHE surname can be found in the records of the city of Cologne, Germany, where a family with the name resided in the late 1500s. This particular branch of the YOHE family was involved in the textile trade, which was a significant industry in the region at the time.
As the YOHE name spread across Europe, variations in spelling emerged, such as Yohe, Yohey, and Yohai. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of local record keepers.
In the 17th century, a notable figure named Hans YOHE (1621-1698) gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker in the town of Nuremberg. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the wealthy and influential members of society.
During the 18th century, the YOHE name began to appear in records outside of Germany, as families emigrated to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. One such individual was Johann YOHE (1742-1819), who settled in Pennsylvania, USA, and became a respected farmer and landowner.
Another prominent YOHE was Sophia YOHE (1789-1860), a German-born artist who gained acclaim for her intricate landscape paintings. Her works were exhibited in galleries throughout Europe and are now considered valuable pieces of art history.
In the 19th century, a famous YOHE was the explorer and naturalist, Wilhelm YOHE (1821-1892). He embarked on several expeditions to remote regions of Africa and South America, documenting many previously unknown species of plants and animals.
As the YOHE name continued to spread across the globe, it became associated with various professions and achievements, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those who bore this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yohe
Among Census respondents with the surname Yohe, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Yohe 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 Yohe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 2,084
- Two or more races3.0% · 68
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 61
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 16
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yohe
Yohe 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
#12,900
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,383
+68 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 583 places
2020
#13,050
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,247
-136 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 150 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,317 | 2,315 | 0.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,900 | 2,383 | 0.81 | +68 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 583 places |
| 2020 | #13,050 | 2,247 | 0.75 | -136 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 150 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 Yohe 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 | #12,900 | #13,050 | -1.2% |
| Count | 2,383 | 2,247 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.75 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yohe bearers went from 2,383 to 2,247 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 150 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,900 to #13,050.
FAQ
Yohe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yohe?
Name Census estimates that about 2,577 living Americans carry the surname Yohe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 133,005 residents.
How common is Yohe?
Yohe ranks #13,050 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 2,247 people with the surname Yohe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,577), 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 Yohe.
Has Yohe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yohe went from 2,383 recorded bearers to 2,247. That is a decrease of 136 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,900 to #13,050.
What does the Census say about the background of Yohe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yohe, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Yohe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (2,084 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yohe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Yohe (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 Yohe mean?
Derived from the German name "Johe", likely referring to someone who lived near a yew tree. 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 Yohe (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 have the last name Yohe?
You can see how many people are called Yohe on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.