2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Youakim
An Arabic surname with origins meaning "established by God."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 140 Americans carry the last name Youakim. That puts it at #140,525 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,448,245 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Youakim 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
140
1 in 2,448,245
Census rank
#140,525
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
122
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 122 bearers of the surname Youakim in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 140525th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Youakim, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Youakim
The surname Youakim has its origins in the Middle East, primarily within the Levantine region, which includes modern-day Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine. It is an Arabic surname that can be traced back to at least the medieval era. The name Youakim is derived from the Arabic and Hebrew names Yehoyaqim or Jehoiakim, which mean "raised by God" or "God will establish." These origins suggest a strong religious significance, as names were often chosen for their meanings and connections to divine favor during these times.
Historical references to the surname Youakim are not as widely documented as some European surnames, but it appears in various Middle Eastern records and religious texts. For example, Yehoyaqim was a king of Judah mentioned in the Bible, ruling from 609 to 598 BCE. This biblical connection might explain the surname's persistence and significance in the Levantine region. As people adopted fixed surnames, initially during the medieval period, religious figures and names became common sources.
One of the earliest recorded instances of a person with the surname Youakim in historical records appears in the 16th century. A notable individual was Youakim Idrisi, an Ottoman-era scholar and scribe who lived and worked in the late 1500s. His contributions to Islamic scholarship are noted in manuscripts preserved in Istanbul.
Another early figure was Ibrahim Youakim, born in 1735 in Aleppo, Syria. A merchant by trade, Ibrahim played a significant role in the economic interactions between the Ottoman Empire and European nations, particularly in the Levantine silk trade, and passed away in 1802.
In the 19th century, Bishop Youakim Haddad of Beirut is a notable figure. Born in 1829, Bishop Haddad was a cleric in the Maronite Church and was known for his efforts to promote education and social welfare within his community. His death in 1892 was mourned by many in the region.
During the early 20th century, the name appeared with Mikhael Youakim, an influential political activist and founder of several nationalist movements in Lebanon. Born in 1895, he was instrumental in advocating for Lebanese independence from French colonial rule. His political activities and writings made him a prominent figure until his death in 1943.
A more recent historical figure is Elias Youakim, an archaeologist born in 1938 in Damascus, Syria. Elias contributed significantly to the study of Levantine archaeology and authored several well-regarded publications on ancient Middle Eastern civilizations. His work during the mid-to-late 20th century received international recognition, and he continued his research until his passing in 2005.
The surname Youakim has therefore traversed various aspects of Levantine society, from religious significance to political activism and scholarly pursuits. It carries a rich history tied to the region's cultural and historical tapestry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Youakim
Among Census respondents with the surname Youakim, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Youakim 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 Youakim surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- Black or African American1.6% · 2
- Two or more races1.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Youakim
Youakim 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 9,104 places
2020
#140,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+20 bearers (+19.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 17,907 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 9,104 places |
| 2020 | #140,525 | 122 | 0.04 | +20 bearers (+19.6%) | Up 17,907 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 Youakim 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 | #158,432 | #140,525 | 11.3% |
| Count | 102 | 122 | 19.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 36.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Youakim bearers went from 102 to 122 (+19.6% change). The surname moved up 17,907 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #140,525.
FAQ
Youakim surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Youakim?
Name Census estimates that about 140 living Americans carry the surname Youakim. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,448,245 residents.
How common is Youakim?
Youakim ranks #140,525 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 122 people with the surname Youakim. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (140), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Youakim.
Has Youakim become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Youakim went from 102 recorded bearers to 122. That is an increase of 20 (+19.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #140,525.
What does the Census say about the background of Youakim?
Among Census respondents with the surname Youakim, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Youakim in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Youakim appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (3.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Youakim (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 Youakim mean?
An Arabic surname with origins meaning "established by God." 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 Youakim (0.04 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 are called Youakim?
Find out how common the surname Youakim is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.