2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Yonn
From the Middle English phrase "yonne" meaning "that one".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Yonn. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yonn 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Yonn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yonn, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (46.2%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yonn
The surname Yonn has its origins in Western Europe, most likely from the region that now encompasses modern-day France. The name is believed to have emerged in the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. Its roots can be traced back to Old Breton and Old French languages, with possible links to the Breton name "Yann," which itself is derived from the Hebrew "Yohanan," meaning "God is gracious."
The areas where the surname Yonn appeared originally were regions influenced by both Celtic and Frankish traditions. These include parts of Brittany and Normandy, where the blending of local dialects and the migration of peoples influenced the formation of surnames. The name Yonn is also related to other similar spellings and variations, including Jon, Yon, and even the more Anglicized John.
Historical records provide several insights into the early usage of the surname Yonn. One of the earliest mentions is found in a manuscript from the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, dated 1250. The record lists a "Guillaume Yonn" as a tenant farmer, indicating that the name was already in use by individuals involved in agriculture and rural economies.
Place names that echo the surname Yonn include the Breton town of Saint-Yon, which may have influenced or been influenced by the family name. Variations in spelling are noted in different records, often due to the phonetic interpretations by scribes of the time. For example, a 14th-century parish register in Normandy lists a "Jean Yonne" and a "Pierre Yon."
Among the earliest recorded individuals bearing the surname Yonn is Philippe Yonn, a landowner mentioned in a 1327 Norman tax roll. His estate was listed as sizeable, indicating that the family may have held some local prominence. Another notable figure includes René Yonn, a French merchant who appears in trading records from Brittany around 1450.
The name Yonn appears sporadically in the late medieval and Renaissance periods, with one prominent individual being Jacques Yonn, a scholar born around 1575 who contributed to early studies in natural philosophy. His works were referenced in several academic circles in Paris by the early 1600s.
In later centuries, the name Yonn continued to be found in France. Marie Yonn, a midwife in Lyon born in 1673, is documented for her services to the local community, showing the spread of the surname beyond its initial regions. André Yonn, a soldier who fought in the Napoleonic Wars, born in 1786, is another figure of note, suggesting the name’s persistence into modern times.
Throughout centuries, the surname Yonn retained its original character while adapting to new linguistic and social environments. The historical references, notable figures, and place names associated with Yonn contribute to a rich tapestry of its heritage, encompassing various facets of European history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yonn
Among Census respondents with the surname Yonn, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (46.2%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Yonn 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 Yonn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White47.2% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander46.2% · 49
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yonn
Yonn 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,106 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-8 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 12,106 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 7,119 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 Yonn 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 | #145,220 | #152,339 | -4.9% |
| Count | 114 | 106 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yonn bearers went from 114 to 106 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 7,119 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #152,339.
FAQ
Yonn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yonn?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Yonn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Yonn?
Yonn ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Yonn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Yonn.
Has Yonn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yonn went from 114 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Yonn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yonn, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (46.2%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Yonn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.2% (50 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yonn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (47.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (46.2%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Yonn (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 Yonn mean?
From the Middle English phrase "yonne" meaning "that one". 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 Yonn (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Yonn?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.