2000
#3,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,853
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.65
Uncommon Last name
Yoo
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese character meaning "willow tree."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 16,004 Americans carry the last name Yoo. That puts it at #2,517 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 21,417 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yoo 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
16K
1 in 21,417
Census rank
#2,517
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,956 bearers of the surname Yoo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2517th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yoo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yoo
The surname YOO originated in Korea, where it has been in use for centuries. It is believed to be derived from the Korean word "yu," meaning "willow tree," which may have referred to an ancestor's place of residence near a willow grove or a physical characteristic associated with the tree's slender, graceful form.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the YOO surname can be found in the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392 CE) annals, where a nobleman named YOO Seung-bok (유승복) served as a high-ranking military officer during the reign of King Gongmin.
During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897 CE), the YOO family gained prominence, with several members holding important government positions. One notable figure was YOO Soon-shin (유순신, 1545-1598), a celebrated naval commander who led the Korean naval forces to victory against the Japanese invaders in the Imjin War.
The YOO surname was also well-represented in the literary and scholarly circles of the Joseon period. YOO Seong-ryong (유성룡, 1542-1607), a renowned scholar and poet, was a key figure in the development of Korean literature and the promotion of Confucian values.
In the 19th century, YOO Chi-ho (유치호, 1864-1927) was a prominent educator, writer, and political activist who played a pivotal role in the Korean independence movement against Japanese colonial rule.
Another influential figure with the YOO surname was YOO Gwan-sun (유관순, 1902-1920), a legendary patriot who participated in the March 1st Movement against Japanese occupation in 1919. Despite her youth and subsequent imprisonment, she remained defiant and became a symbol of Korean resistance.
As the YOO surname spread across Korea, it also found its way into various place names, such as Yooshin-ri, a village located in the northwestern region of the country, and Yoochun-gun, a former county in the present-day North Jeolla Province.
While the YOO surname has evolved over time, with regional variations in pronunciation and spelling, its historical significance and deep roots in Korean culture remain undeniable. From military leaders and scholars to activists and patriots, the YOO name has left an indelible mark on the annals of Korean history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yoo
Among Census respondents with the surname Yoo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Yoo 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 Yoo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.1% · 13,131
- White2.6% · 364
- Two or more races2.1% · 298
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 111
- Black or African American0.4% · 52
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yoo
Yoo 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
#2,724
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,225
+3,372 bearers (+34.2%)
Per 100,000 4.48
Rank movement Up 606 places
2020
#2,517
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,956
+731 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 4.67
Rank movement Up 207 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,330 | 9,853 | 3.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,724 | 13,225 | 4.48 | +3,372 bearers (+34.2%) | Up 606 places |
| 2020 | #2,517 | 13,956 | 4.67 | +731 bearers (+5.5%) | Up 207 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 Yoo 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 | #2,724 | #2,517 | 7.6% |
| Count | 13,225 | 13,956 | 5.5% |
| Per 100K | 4.48 | 4.67 | 4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yoo bearers went from 13,225 to 13,956 (+5.5% change). The surname moved up 207 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,724 to #2,517.
FAQ
Yoo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yoo?
Name Census estimates that about 16,004 living Americans carry the surname Yoo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 21,417 residents.
How common is Yoo?
Yoo ranks #2,517 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,956 people with the surname Yoo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (16,004), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Yoo.
Has Yoo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yoo went from 13,225 recorded bearers to 13,956. That is an increase of 731 (+5.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,724 to #2,517.
What does the Census say about the background of Yoo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yoo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Yoo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (13,131 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yoo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.1%), White (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Yoo (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 Yoo mean?
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese character meaning "willow 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 Yoo (4.67 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 Yoo?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Yoo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.