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

York, 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 York surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of York in America

York is the 642nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The York surname appeared 53,059 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 18 people would have the surname York.

We can also compare 2010 data for York 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 York

The surname York originated in the north of England, specifically in the county of Yorkshire. The name is derived from the Old English word "Eofor-wic," which means "boar town" or "boar settlement." The city of York was originally known as Eoforwic, and the name eventually evolved into its modern form.

York is an ancient city with a rich history dating back to Roman times. It was an important settlement during the Anglo-Saxon period and was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname York can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a person named Willelmus de Yeork is mentioned. The name also appears in various other medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a man named John de York.

The surname York has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most famous was Edmund of Woodstock, Earl of Kent (1301-1330), who was the younger son of King Edward I. Another notable bearer of the name was Richard York, Duke of York (1411-1460), who played a significant role in the Wars of the Roses and was the father of King Edward IV.

Other notable individuals with the surname York include Sir Joseph York (1713-1795), a British naval officer who served during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War, and Philip York (1755-1834), an English clergyman and author who wrote several books on religious topics.

The surname York has also been associated with various place names in England, such as York Minster, one of the largest and most magnificent cathedrals in the country, and the University of York, a prestigious institution founded in 1963.

While the surname York has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration. However, its origins can be traced back to the ancient city of York and the Old English word "Eofor-wic."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name York

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

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

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

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