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

Younger, 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 Younger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Younger in America

Younger is the 3357th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Younger surname appeared 10,658 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Younger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Younger 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 Younger

The surname Younger is of English origin, and it first emerged in the medieval period. The name is derived from the Middle English word "yonger," which means "younger" or "junior." It was initially used as a distinguishing term to differentiate between two individuals with the same given name, with the younger person being referred to as "the younger."

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Younger can be traced back to the 13th century. In the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dated 1273, there is a reference to a person named William le Yongere. This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name from its Middle English roots.

During the 14th century, the surname Younger appeared in various historical records across England. For instance, in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, there is a mention of one John le Yonger. Similarly, in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, a Thomas Yonger is recorded.

The Younger surname also has connections to place names. In the 16th century, there was a notable figure named John Younger, who was born around 1514 in Younger's Ait, an island in the River Thames near Twickenham. The island's name suggests that it may have been associated with the Younger family at one point.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Younger. One prominent example is William Younger (1542-1592), a Scottish merchant and entrepreneur who founded the Younger Brewing Company in Leith, Edinburgh. This brewery later became part of the Scottish & Newcastle Breweries conglomerate.

Another significant figure was Thomas Younger (1773-1829), a Scottish businessman and politician who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1823 to 1825. He was also a partner in the Younger Brewing Company, which had been established by his ancestors.

In the literary world, Caleb Younger (1822-1888) was an American writer and journalist who published several works, including "Lonz Powers: A Romance of the Revolution" and "The Light Dragoon: An Historical Romance of the Old French War."

The Younger surname has also been associated with military figures. One such individual was William Sanky Younger (1839-1921), a British Army officer who served in the Anglo-Zulu War and the Second Boer War, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.

Lastly, Arthur Younger (1858-1919) was a British politician and businessman who served as the President of the Board of Education from 1905 to 1910 and later became the Governor of New South Wales, Australia, from 1913 to 1919.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Younger

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

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

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

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