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

Youngdahl, 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 Youngdahl surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Youngdahl in America

Youngdahl is the 50467th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Youngdahl surname appeared 414 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Youngdahl.

We can also compare 2010 data for Youngdahl 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 Youngdahl

The surname Youngdahl has its origins rooted in Scandinavian ancestry, specifically from Sweden. The name likely emerged during the 17th or 18th century, a time when surnames were becoming more standardized in Sweden. The surname can be dissected into two components: "Young," which in Anglo-Saxon means "the younger" or "youthful," and "dahl," a Scandinavian term meaning "valley." Thus, the composite name Youngdahl could be interpreted as "young valley" or "the youthful valley."

The suffix -dahl is quite common in Swedish topographical surnames, often indicating a family’s residence near a valley. The prefix Young, though primarily Anglo-Saxon, may have been adopted due to migration, trade, or other forms of cultural exchange between English-speaking regions and Scandinavia. It reflects the naming conventions where individuals were sometimes distinguished by their age or locality.

Historical references to the name Youngdahl are sparse before the 19th century, as the development of such surnames often coincided with population growth and the need for more specific identifiers. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in Swedish church records from the early 1800s. For example, Sven Youngdahl, born in 1823 in the village of Strömstad, is one such early record. These records typically chronicled baptisms, marriages, and burials, making them valuable for tracing family histories.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the Youngdahl surname. Luther Youngdahl (1896-1978) was a prominent American judge and politician who served as the Governor of Minnesota from 1947 to 1951. His leadership and judicial work left a lasting impact on the state’s legal system. Oscar Youngdahl (1893-1946), the older brother of Luther, was a U.S. Congressman representing Minnesota’s 5th district from 1943 until his untimely death in 1946. Their contributions underscore the name's presence in American political history.

In a different realm, Gustav Youngdahl, a professor born in 1855, made significant contributions to the field of natural sciences in Sweden. His academic work and numerous publications helped advance the study of botany during the turn of the 20th century. Another notable carrier of the surname was Anna Youngdahl (1868-1942), a suffragette and social activist who played a critical role in Sweden’s women’s rights movement during the early 1900s.

The spelling of geographical locations and surnames often evolved over time. In historical documents, variations such as Youngdal or Jungdahl may appear, reflecting phonetic spellings or regional dialect influences. Such variations would still denote familial ties to the same area or lineage. The transition to more standardized spelling conventions in the 19th and 20th centuries has helped establish the modern form of the surname.

In summary, the surname Youngdahl encapsulates a blend of youthful vigor and topographical heritage, rooted primarily in Swedish origins. It reflects both a familial lineage and a connection to the natural landscape, with notable individuals throughout history who have contributed to various fields from governance and law to science and social activism.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Youngdahl

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

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

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

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