2000
#1,733
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,959
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.03
Uncommon Last name
Yost
Derived from the Middle High German word "jost," meaning a gatherer of brushwood or twigs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,060 Americans carry the last name Yost. That puts it at #1,921 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,275 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yost 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
21K
1 in 16,275
Census rank
#1,921
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 18,365 bearers of the surname Yost in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1921st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yost, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yost
The surname Yost has its origins in the German and Dutch languages, with the earliest records of the name dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the medieval German personal name "Judocus" or "Jodocus," which is derived from the Old German words "ged" and "hug," meaning "blessed" and "mind" or "soul," respectively.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yost can be found in the Codex Traditionum Corbeiensium, a medieval manuscript from the 9th century that records the names of landowners in the region of Westphalia, Germany. The name appears as "Iudocus" and is listed among other landowners in the area.
The name Yost also appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. Here, the name is recorded as "Iudichel," which is believed to be a variant spelling of the same name.
By the 16th century, the name had spread across various regions of Germany and the Low Countries, with variations in spelling such as "Yost," "Jost," "Joost," and "Jost." Notable individuals with this surname during this period include Johannes Yost (1539-1617), a German theologian and reformer, and Joost van den Vondel (1587-1679), a renowned Dutch poet and playwright.
In the 17th century, the name began to appear in North America as German and Dutch immigrants settled in various colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Hans Yost, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1682. Another notable figure from this period is Isaac Yost (1745-1814), a Pennsylvanian farmer and soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
As the name spread across different regions and cultures, various spelling variations emerged, such as "Youst," "Yaust," and "Jauss." Some notable individuals with these variations include John Youst (1788-1871), a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, and Michael Yaust (1796-1872), a German-American farmer and politician in Pennsylvania.
Throughout its history, the surname Yost has been associated with various professions, including theology, literature, politics, and military service. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, the name has since become widespread across various parts of the world, reflecting the diverse migration patterns and cultural influences that have shaped its evolution over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yost
Among Census respondents with the surname Yost, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Yost 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 Yost surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 16,880
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 585
- Two or more races3.0% · 560
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 153
- Black or African American0.8% · 140
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 47
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yost
Yost 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
#1,869
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,210
+251 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 6.51
Rank movement Down 136 places
2020
#1,921
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,365
-845 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 6.14
Rank movement Down 52 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,733 | 18,959 | 7.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,869 | 19,210 | 6.51 | +251 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 136 places |
| 2020 | #1,921 | 18,365 | 6.14 | -845 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 52 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 Yost 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 | #1,869 | #1,921 | -2.8% |
| Count | 19,210 | 18,365 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 6.51 | 6.14 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yost bearers went from 19,210 to 18,365 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 52 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,869 to #1,921.
FAQ
Yost surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yost?
Name Census estimates that about 21,060 living Americans carry the surname Yost. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,275 residents.
How common is Yost?
Yost ranks #1,921 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.14 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 18,365 people with the surname Yost. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,060), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.14 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 Yost.
Has Yost become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yost went from 19,210 recorded bearers to 18,365. That is a decrease of 845 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,869 to #1,921.
What does the Census say about the background of Yost?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yost, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Yost in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (16,880 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yost appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Yost (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 Yost mean?
Derived from the Middle High German word "jost," meaning a gatherer of brushwood or twigs. 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 Yost (6.14 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 Yost?
You can see how common the surname Yost is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.