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

Yonke, 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 Yonke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yonke in America

Yonke is the 38948th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yonke surname appeared 566 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Yonke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yonke 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 Yonke

The surname Yonke is believed to have origins in Germany, particularly from the regions of Eastern Prussia. The name likely emerged in the medieval period, around the 14th or 15th centuries. It is thought to be either a variation of, or derived from, the surname "Janke," which itself is a diminutive form of the given name "Johann" or "John." Johann is derived from the Hebrew name "Yochanan," meaning "God is gracious."

In early historical records, the name appears in various spellings including Jonke, Jönke, and Janke. A notable mention of the name Janke, which is phonetically similar to Yonke, appears in Prussian land records from the 16th century. These records include references to landowners and tradespeople who bore the name, suggesting that it was relatively common in the region.

The earliest recorded instance of a form of this surname appears to be in the 1420 tax rolls in Königsberg (now Kaliningrad), where a Hans Jonke is listed. This form of the name was used interchangeably with Janke in various regions, pointing to the fluid nature of surname spellings before standardization.

One notable individual bearing the surname Yonke was Berthold Yonke, a respected merchant in Danzig (now Gdańsk) in the late 16th century. His documented contributions to the city's trade and commerce are well-recorded, especially in a 1593 manuscript detailing the economic transactions of the time.

In the Lithuanian records from the early 17th century, a Simonas Jonke is identified as a landholder in the Vilnius region, illustrating the name's spread and prevalence beyond Prussia into Lithuania and other Baltic regions.

Another significant figure was Heinrich Yonke (or Janke), a soldier in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). His military service record lists several notable engagements and awards, underscoring the name's presence within the military ranks of the Holy Roman Empire.

In the 18th century, Johann Yonke was a prominent farmer in the Brandenburg region. His settlement and agricultural success were documented in various land deeds and agricultural records dated between 1720 and 1755, providing insights into the rural expansion and development under Prussian rule.

Lastly, in the 19th century, Friedrich Yonke, born in 1821, achieved recognition as an educator and poet in East Prussia. His contributions to local literature and education reform were significant, leaving behind several published works and educational treatises that remain in regional archives.

These historical references reveal that the surname Yonke has deep-rooted origins in Eastern Europe, primarily in Prussia and the surrounding Baltic areas, with a presence in various societal roles from landholders and merchants to soldiers and educators.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yonke

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

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

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

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