2000
#52,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 367
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Very Rare Last name
Yothers
A surname thought to derive from an Old English word meaning "youth" or "young man".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 478 Americans carry the last name Yothers. That puts it at #53,526 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 717,059 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yothers 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
478
1 in 717,059
Census rank
#53,526
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
417
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 417 bearers of the surname Yothers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 53526th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yothers, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yothers
The surname Yothers most likely has its origins in Northern Europe, specifically in regions where Dutch and German influences prevailed. The name is thought to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. Several variations of the name can be seen in early records, indicating the phonetic and orthographic shifts over time.
The name Yothers may have roots in the Dutch or German word "Jod," which was often used as a short form of Johan or John. In its evolution, the suffix "ers" could signify "son of," a common way to denote family lineage. This type of surname formation was typical in the regions of Flanders and the lower Rhineland, areas well known for their development of patronymic and occupational surnames.
Historic references to the name are scarce but intriguing. One of the earliest mentions can be found in a 15th-century tax roll from the region that is now modern-day Belgium, where a "Johannes Yotherns" is noted as a landowner. This record suggests that the Yothers family were people of some standing, likely involved in agriculture or trade.
Sir Helmut Yothers, born in 1378 and passing in 1448, is an early prominent individual tied to the name. A minor nobleman in the Holy Roman Empire, he is mentioned in various military dispatches as a landholder and knight who participated in regional conflicts. His involvement in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, siding with the English, underscores the complex allegiances of the period.
Another historical figure, Willem Yoters, emerges in 1610 as a noted merchant and trader based in Amsterdam. His business dealings extended into the burgeoning markets of the New World, particularly in the burgeoning Dutch colonies along the Hudson River.
The Yothers name also appears in 17th-century records from the English Civil War. Samuel Yothers, born in 1621 and dying in 1690, was a Parliamentarian soldier known for his steadfast loyalty. His diary, published posthumously, offers valuable insights into the daily life and experiences of a common soldier during these tumultuous times.
The surname crossed the Atlantic with William Yothers, who emigrated to the American colonies in 1741. William, born in 1719 and dying in 1785, settled in Pennsylvania, becoming a farmer and establishing a lineage that would persist in the New World. His descendants played various roles in the development of early American society.
Finally, Sarah Yothers, born in 1834 and dying in 1912, was a noted suffragette and advocate for women’s rights in 19th-century America. Her contributions to the women's suffrage movement were significant, as she worked relentlessly to advance the cause.
From its medieval roots in Northern Europe, through various historical epochs and geographic migrations, the Yothers surname has journeyed remarkably. It reveals a tapestry of family heritage that illustrates the complex social, economic, and political landscapes over centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yothers
Among Census respondents with the surname Yothers, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Yothers 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 Yothers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 388
- Two or more races3.8% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 4
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yothers
Yothers 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
#52,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 399
+32 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Up 898 places
2020
#53,526
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 417
+18 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 1,489 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #52,935 | 367 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #52,037 | 399 | 0.14 | +32 bearers (+8.7%) | Up 898 places |
| 2020 | #53,526 | 417 | 0.14 | +18 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 1,489 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 Yothers 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 | #52,037 | #53,526 | -2.9% |
| Count | 399 | 417 | 4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.14 | -0.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yothers bearers went from 399 to 417 (+4.5% change). The surname moved down 1,489 positions in the national ranking, going from #52,037 to #53,526.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Yothers
FAQ
Yothers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yothers?
Name Census estimates that about 478 living Americans carry the surname Yothers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 717,059 residents.
How common is Yothers?
Yothers ranks #53,526 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 417 people with the surname Yothers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (478), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Yothers.
Has Yothers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yothers went from 399 recorded bearers to 417. That is an increase of 18 (+4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #52,037 to #53,526.
What does the Census say about the background of Yothers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yothers, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Yothers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (388 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yothers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Yothers (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 Yothers mean?
A surname thought to derive from an Old English word meaning "youth" or "young man". 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 Yothers (0.14 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 share the surname Yothers?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.