2000
#20,543
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,200
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.44
Rare Last name
Younan
An Arabic surname meaning "a Greek person" or referring to someone of Greek descent.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,190 Americans carry the last name Younan. That puts it at #14,888 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 156,509 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Younan 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
2.2K
1 in 156,509
Census rank
#14,888
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,910 bearers of the surname Younan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14888th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Younan, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Younan
The surname Younan has its origins in the Middle East, specifically within the Assyrian Christian communities of what is modern-day Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. Linguistic roots suggest that Younan is derived from the Assyrian or Syriac term for "Greek" (Yāwnānā in Aramaic), which historically indicated a person of Greek descent or association. This correlation arises from historical interactions and intermingling between the Greeks and the Assyrians during the periods of Hellenistic influence and subsequent Byzantine rule.
Historical references to the surname appear sporadically due to the tumultuous history of the region. Early written mentions can be traced back to ecclesiastical records and inscriptions in ancient churches, monasteries, and other Christian religious sites dating back to the late medieval period. Details from these records often highlight the prominent role of families with this surname in church leadership and community affairs.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing this surname is Patriarch Younan of the Assyrian Church of the East, who served during the late 16th century. His correspondence and ecclesiastical contributions are noted in various church manuscripts. Another notable historical figure is Shams al-Din Younan, a 17th-century scholar and cleric who made significant contributions to the theological literature of the time.
In the 19th century, individuals with the surname Younan continued to emerge in notable roles. Joseph Younan, born in 1852 and died in 1912, was a prominent merchant and community leader who played a crucial role in supporting displaced Christians during the Ottoman Empire's declining years. His entrepreneurial endeavors and philanthropy are recorded in local histories.
The 20th century saw migration and diaspora spread the surname worldwide as Assyrian communities fled persecution. One prominent 20th-century figure is Mar Gewargis Sliwa Younan, born in 1893, who served as a bishop in the Assyrian Church of the East and was instrumental in the establishment of new Assyrian parishes in the diaspora.
Another significant figure is Bishop Mar Awa Royel Younan, born in 1975, who became the first American-born bishop of the Assyrian Church of the East. His leadership and contributions to the church's expansion in the Western Hemisphere highlight the surname's continued association with ecclesiastical prominence.
Throughout its history, the surname Younan has been associated with a blend of ecclesiastical leadership, scholarship, and community service. Its bearers have played significant roles in the preservation and continuation of Assyrian Christian heritage, both in the Middle East and in the Assyrian diaspora worldwide.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Younan
Among Census respondents with the surname Younan, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Younan 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 Younan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 1,778
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 57
- Two or more races2.8% · 54
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 12
- Black or African American0.5% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Younan
Younan 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
#17,056
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,665
+465 bearers (+38.8%)
Per 100,000 0.56
Rank movement Up 3,487 places
2020
#14,888
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,910
+245 bearers (+14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 2,168 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,543 | 1,200 | 0.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,056 | 1,665 | 0.56 | +465 bearers (+38.8%) | Up 3,487 places |
| 2020 | #14,888 | 1,910 | 0.64 | +245 bearers (+14.7%) | Up 2,168 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 Younan 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 | #17,056 | #14,888 | 12.7% |
| Count | 1,665 | 1,910 | 14.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.56 | 0.64 | 14.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Younan bearers went from 1,665 to 1,910 (+14.7% change). The surname moved up 2,168 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,056 to #14,888.
FAQ
Younan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Younan?
Name Census estimates that about 2,190 living Americans carry the surname Younan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 156,509 residents.
How common is Younan?
Younan ranks #14,888 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,910 people with the surname Younan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,190), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Younan.
Has Younan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Younan went from 1,665 recorded bearers to 1,910. That is an increase of 245 (+14.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,056 to #14,888.
What does the Census say about the background of Younan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Younan, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Younan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (1,778 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Younan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Younan (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 Younan mean?
An Arabic surname meaning "a Greek person" or referring to someone of Greek descent. 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 Younan (0.64 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 Younan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.