2000
#2,848
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,563
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.29
Uncommon Last name
Yoon
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese character meaning "allow" or "consent."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 19,172 Americans carry the last name Yoon. That puts it at #2,104 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 17,878 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yoon 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Yoon with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
19K
1 in 17,878
Census rank
#2,104
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,719 bearers of the surname Yoon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2104th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yoon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yoon
The surname Yoon has its origins in Korea, where it can be traced back to the early Goryeo period (918-1392 CE). The name is derived from the Korean word "yun," which means "cloud" or "mist." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who lived in a mountainous or misty area.
In ancient Korean records, the earliest known mention of the surname Yoon dates back to the 12th century. One notable figure bearing this name was Yoon Gwan (1012-1073), a renowned scholar and poet during the Goryeo Dynasty. His literary works are still studied and admired in Korea today.
During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897), the Yoon family was among the prominent clans in the Gyeongsang region of southeastern Korea. They produced several notable scholars, officials, and military leaders. One of the most famous was Yoon Heung-ro (1617-1680), a respected Confucian scholar and philosopher who played a significant role in the development of Korean Neo-Confucianism.
In the 19th century, Yoon Chi-ho (1865-1945) was a prominent figure in the Korean independence movement against Japanese colonial rule. He was an educator, writer, and activist who advocated for Korea's sovereignty and modernization.
Another prominent individual with the surname Yoon was Yoon Byung-se (1919-2003), a renowned South Korean novelist and literary critic. His works explored themes of identity, modernity, and the human condition, earning him widespread acclaim and numerous literary awards.
Yoon Suk-heun (1946-2021) was a celebrated South Korean actor and filmmaker who gained international recognition for his roles in films like "Oldboy" and "The President's Last Bang." He was widely regarded as one of the greatest actors in Korean cinema.
The surname Yoon has also been associated with various place names in Korea, such as Yoon-ri (a village in North Gyeongsang Province) and Yoon-cheon (a county in South Chungcheong Province). These place names likely originated from the presence of Yoon clans in those areas.
Overall, the surname Yoon has a rich history and cultural significance in Korea, with connections to literature, philosophy, politics, and the arts. Its origins can be traced back to the Goryeo period, and it has been borne by numerous notable figures throughout Korean history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yoon
Among Census respondents with the surname Yoon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Yoon 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 Yoon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.8% · 15,852
- White2.2% · 364
- Two or more races2.0% · 338
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 110
- Black or African American0.3% · 54
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yoon
Yoon 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
#2,287
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,936
+4,373 bearers (+37.8%)
Per 100,000 5.40
Rank movement Up 561 places
2020
#2,104
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,719
+783 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 5.59
Rank movement Up 183 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,848 | 11,563 | 4.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,287 | 15,936 | 5.40 | +4,373 bearers (+37.8%) | Up 561 places |
| 2020 | #2,104 | 16,719 | 5.59 | +783 bearers (+4.9%) | Up 183 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 Yoon 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 | #2,287 | #2,104 | 8.0% |
| Count | 15,936 | 16,719 | 4.9% |
| Per 100K | 5.40 | 5.59 | 3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yoon bearers went from 15,936 to 16,719 (+4.9% change). The surname moved up 183 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,287 to #2,104.
FAQ
Yoon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yoon?
Name Census estimates that about 19,172 living Americans carry the surname Yoon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 17,878 residents.
How common is Yoon?
Yoon ranks #2,104 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,719 people with the surname Yoon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (19,172), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Yoon.
Has Yoon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yoon went from 15,936 recorded bearers to 16,719. That is an increase of 783 (+4.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,287 to #2,104.
What does the Census say about the background of Yoon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yoon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Yoon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (15,852 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yoon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.8%), White (2.2%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Yoon (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 Yoon mean?
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese character meaning "allow" or "consent." 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 Yoon (5.59 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 Yoon?
Find out how many people are called Yoon on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.