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

Yonker, 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 Yonker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yonker in America

Yonker is the 14468th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yonker surname appeared 2,064 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 Yonker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yonker 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 Yonker

The surname Yonker is of Dutch origin, derived from the old Dutch word "joncker" or "jonkheer", which was a title of nobility given to young members of the aristocracy. This surname dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries in the Netherlands and surrounding regions.

In the early days, the name Yonker was closely associated with the Dutch aristocracy and was often used as a form of address for young noblemen. It gradually evolved into a surname, particularly among families who held social standing or positions of authority.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yonker can be found in the archives of the city of Amsterdam, where it appears in documents dating back to the late 16th century. It is also mentioned in various historical records and chronicles from the Dutch provinces during that time period.

Notable individuals with the surname Yonker include Pieter Yonker (1605-1677), a Dutch merchant and ship owner who played a significant role in the early Dutch settlements in North America. Another prominent figure was Johannes Yonker (1712-1788), a renowned Dutch painter known for his landscapes and cityscapes.

In the 19th century, the name Yonker gained further prominence with the birth of Frederick Yonker (1819-1901), a Dutch-American businessman and politician who served as the mayor of Amsterdam, New York, from 1870 to 1872.

Other historical figures bearing the surname Yonker include Gerrit Yonker (1845-1923), a Dutch-American Civil War veteran and educator, and Hendrik Yonker (1875-1942), a Dutch sculptor whose works can be found in various public spaces throughout the Netherlands.

While the surname Yonker originated in the Netherlands, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Dutch emigration and settlement in countries like the United States, Canada, and South Africa.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yonker

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

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

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

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