2000
#3,158
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,444
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.87
Uncommon Last name
Younger
A comparative surname referring to the younger of two people with the same given name in a family.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,142 Americans carry the last name Younger. That puts it at #3,333 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,229 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Younger 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Younger with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,229
Census rank
#3,333
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,588 bearers of the surname Younger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3333rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Younger, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.3%. The next largest groups are Black (27.9%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Younger
Among Census respondents with the surname Younger, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.3%. The next largest groups are Black (27.9%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Younger 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 Younger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.3% · 6,387
- Black or African American27.9% · 2,949
- Two or more races5.8% · 615
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 467
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 106
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 64
Timeline
Historical Census data for Younger
Younger 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
#3,357
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,658
+214 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 3.61
Rank movement Down 199 places
2020
#3,333
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,588
-70 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 3.54
Rank movement Up 24 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,158 | 10,444 | 3.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,357 | 10,658 | 3.61 | +214 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 199 places |
| 2020 | #3,333 | 10,588 | 3.54 | -70 bearers (-0.7%) | Up 24 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 Younger 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 | #3,357 | #3,333 | 0.7% |
| Count | 10,658 | 10,588 | -0.7% |
| Per 100K | 3.61 | 3.54 | -1.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Younger bearers went from 10,658 to 10,588 (-0.7% change). The surname moved up 24 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,357 to #3,333.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Younger
FAQ
Younger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Younger?
Name Census estimates that about 12,142 living Americans carry the surname Younger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,229 residents.
How common is Younger?
Younger ranks #3,333 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.54 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,588 people with the surname Younger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,142), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.54 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Younger.
Has Younger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Younger went from 10,658 recorded bearers to 10,588. That is a decrease of 70 (-0.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,357 to #3,333.
What does the Census say about the background of Younger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Younger, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.3%. The next largest groups are Black (27.9%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Younger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.3% (6,387 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Younger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.3%), Black (27.9%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Younger (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 Younger mean?
A comparative surname referring to the younger of two people with the same given name in a family. 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 Younger (3.54 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 have the last name Younger?
You can see how many people are called Younger on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.