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

Yonkin, 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 Yonkin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yonkin in America

Yonkin is the 84748th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yonkin surname appeared 221 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 Yonkin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yonkin 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 Yonkin

The surname Yonkin is believed to have origins in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly from the regions that are today part of Germany and Eastern Poland. The earliest records indicate that the name may be a variant of the German surname Jancke, Yonke, or Janke, which derived from the given name Jan or Johannes, meaning "God is gracious" in Hebrew. The Germanic influence suggests that the name Yonkin could have appeared in these regions as early as the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th centuries.

The etymology of Yonkin might also connect to the Slavic linguistic roots found in Poland and nearby regions. In rural Poland, surnames often evolved from given names, occupations, or even geographical features. Yonkin could be a variation of Janek or Jonk, both diminutives of Jan.

The first known records of the name Yonkin in written documents appear in the 16th century. Town registries and local church records from Silesia, Prussia, and Pomerania have mentioned individuals with variations of this surname. One of the earliest documented instances is from a 1543 record in Koenigsberg, now Kaliningrad in Russia, which mentions a Johann Yonkin as a landowner.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname Yonkin appeared more frequently in records due to migration and better record-keeping practices. An influential figure bearing this surname was Heinrich Yonkin, a Prussian merchant born in 1690 and known for his extensive trade networks across the Baltic Sea. Another significant historical figure was Katarzyna Yonkin, a midwife in Eastern Poland whose work and documentation of childbirth practices in 1757 remain preserved in historical texts.

The surname spread to the Americas by the 19th century, with German and Polish immigrants bringing it to the United States. The Yonkin family name is notably found in Pennsylvania, linked to the influx of Eastern European settlers. Joseph Yonkin, born in 1829, was one of the early settlers in Pennsylvania and became known for his contributions to local farming techniques and community building.

Another notable individual includes Anna Yonkin, born in 1858 in Prussia, who emigrated to the United States and became an early advocate for women's education, establishing several programs in New York City before her death in 1922. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Yonkin surname appeared in various professional records, from academia to trade.

In sum, the surname Yonkin has rich historical roots in Central and Eastern Europe, later spreading to the Americas through immigration. Its early appearances in the 16th century and notable bearers like Heinrich and Katarzyna Yonkin highlight its longstanding presence, while individuals like Joseph and Anna Yonkin reflect its spread and influence across continents.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yonkin

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!