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

You, 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 You surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of You in America

You is the 6486th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The You surname appeared 5,234 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname You.

We can also compare 2010 data for You 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 You

The surname "You" is believed to have originated in China, tracing its roots back to the 8th century AD. In the Chinese language, the word "you" translates to "friend" or "companion," suggesting that the name may have initially been a descriptive moniker for someone who was known for their amicable and sociable nature.

During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the name "You" appears in several historical records, such as the "Biographical Records of Eminent Monks" and the "Old Book of Tang." These documents mention individuals with the surname "You," indicating that the name had already gained recognition and prevalence within certain regions of China.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name "You" can be found in the "Book of Sui," a historical text compiled during the Sui Dynasty (581-618 AD). This reference dates back to the 6th century and suggests that the name had established itself as a surname by that time.

In the 11th century, a prominent figure named You Shi (1053-1102) gained recognition as a celebrated poet and calligrapher during the Song Dynasty. His literary works and artistic contributions helped to further establish the name "You" within the cultural landscape of ancient China.

Another notable individual bearing the surname "You" was You Tong (1618-1704), a Qing Dynasty scholar and official who served as a tutor to the Kangxi Emperor. His expertise in classical Chinese literature and philosophy earned him significant respect and influence within the imperial court.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the name "You" also found its way into local place names, such as Youxian County in Hunan Province and Youyi County in Sichuan Province. These geographic designations further solidified the surname's presence and distribution across various regions of China.

It is worth noting that the surname "You" has also been documented in other parts of Asia, such as Japan and Korea, where it may have been adopted or adapted from the Chinese language and culture. However, the exact origins and migration patterns of the name in these regions are less well-documented and may have evolved independently over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name You

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

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

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

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