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

Young, 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 Young surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Young in America

Young is the 32nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Young surname appeared 484,447 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 164 people would have the surname Young.

We can also compare 2010 data for Young 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 Young

The surname Young is of English origin and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "geong," meaning "young" or "youthful." The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname given to a person who appeared younger than their age or retained a youthful appearance and vigor.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Young can be found in the 13th century. For example, a John le Yonge is mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1242, and a William le Yunge is recorded in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1292.

The surname Young is also found in various medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a John le Yunge is listed in Oxfordshire. Additionally, the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275 mention a Robert le Yonge.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various spellings, including Yonge, Younge, and Yunge. One notable bearer of the name during this period was Sir John Yonge, a member of Parliament for Somerset in 1382.

During the 15th century, the surname Young began to take on its modern spelling. One example is Thomas Young, who served as the Bishop of St. David's from 1453 to 1472.

In the 16th century, the name Young continued to be prevalent, with individuals like Thomas Young (1507-1568), an English religious reformer and Protestant martyr.

The 17th century saw the rise of several notable individuals bearing the surname Young, including Thomas Young (1587-1655), an English Puritan clergyman, and Patrick Young (1584-1652), a Scottish scholar and librarian known for his work on the Codex Alexandrinus.

In the 18th century, Edward Young (1683-1765), an English poet and playwright, gained recognition for his work "Night Thoughts." Additionally, Arthur Young (1741-1820) was a renowned English writer and agriculturist.

The 19th century brought forth individuals like Brigham Young (1801-1877), a prominent leader in the Latter-day Saint movement and the second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Thomas Young (1773-1829), an English polymath who made significant contributions to the fields of physics, physiology, and Egyptology.

Overall, the surname Young has a rich history spanning centuries, with its origins rooted in the Old English language and its bearers leaving an indelible mark across various fields and disciplines throughout time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Young

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

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

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

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