2000
#107,038
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 154
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Youngson
An English surname meaning "young son" or "son of the younger one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 182 Americans carry the last name Youngson. That puts it at #116,252 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,883,266 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Youngson 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 Youngson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
182
1 in 1,883,266
Census rank
#116,252
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
159
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 159 bearers of the surname Youngson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 116252nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Youngson, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Black (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Youngson
The surname Youngson has its origins in Scotland, specifically in the northern regions. It dates back to at least the early medieval period, tracing its roots to a time when surnames began to be used to distinguish individuals with similar first names. The name is a patronymic surname, derived from the personal name "Young," which itself comes from the Old English "geong," meaning young or youthful. The suffix "son" signifies "son of Young," implying descent from an ancestor with that name.
The areas where the surname Youngson was originally found include Aberdeenshire and other parts of northeastern Scotland. These regions were inhabited by various clans and families that adopted surnames based on the names of their forebears. The name Young itself was likely used to denote a younger member of a family or a recent descendant, a common practice for distinguishing individuals in a community.
Historical references to the surname Youngson are sparse but significant. In medieval records, the name appears sporadically, usually in legal documents and charters. For instance, a William Youngson is mentioned in a charter dated 1456, recorded in the Aberdeen Council Register. Such documentation provides early evidence of the name's establishment in Scottish society.
The earliest recorded examples of the surname typically appear in parish records and tax rolls. One notable individual is John Youngson, who is listed in the Elgin parish records in 1620. These early records often used various spellings of the name, including Youngsoun and Yongsoun, reflecting the fluid nature of orthography at the time.
Among the notable bearers of the surname, George Youngson, born in 1780 and died in 1853, stands out. He was a respected minister in the Church of Scotland, known for his theological writings and contributions to ecclesiastical history. Another prominent figure is Alexander Youngson, a 19th-century landowner and philanthropist in Aberdeenshire, who played a significant role in local agricultural developments.
In the literary world, Robert Youngson, an early 20th-century Scottish poet, gained recognition for his contributions to regional literature, often depicting the landscapes and culture of northern Scotland in his works. The surname also appears in more recent historical contexts, with individuals like James Youngson, a noted historian born in 1925, who extensively researched medieval Scottish history until his death in 1980.
These historical references highlight the longstanding presence and impact of the Youngson family in Scotland. The evolution of the surname from "son of Young" into a recognized family name reflects broader trends in the formation of hereditary surnames during the medieval period in Britain. The legacy of the Youngson name is preserved through historical documents, literary contributions, and the enduring influence of its bearers on Scottish history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Youngson
Among Census respondents with the surname Youngson, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Black (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Youngson 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 Youngson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 143
- Black or African American3.1% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 5
- Two or more races2.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Youngson
Youngson 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
#124,548
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
-16 bearers (-10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 17,510 places
2020
#116,252
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 159
+21 bearers (+15.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 8,296 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #107,038 | 154 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #124,548 | 138 | 0.05 | -16 bearers (-10.4%) | Down 17,510 places |
| 2020 | #116,252 | 159 | 0.05 | +21 bearers (+15.2%) | Up 8,296 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 Youngson 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 | #124,548 | #116,252 | 6.7% |
| Count | 138 | 159 | 15.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | 6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Youngson bearers went from 138 to 159 (+15.2% change). The surname moved up 8,296 positions in the national ranking, going from #124,548 to #116,252.
FAQ
Youngson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Youngson?
Name Census estimates that about 182 living Americans carry the surname Youngson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,883,266 residents.
How common is Youngson?
Youngson ranks #116,252 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 159 people with the surname Youngson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (182), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Youngson.
Has Youngson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Youngson went from 138 recorded bearers to 159. That is an increase of 21 (+15.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #124,548 to #116,252.
What does the Census say about the background of Youngson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Youngson, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Black (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Youngson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (143 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Youngson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Black (3.1%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Youngson (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 Youngson mean?
An English surname meaning "young son" or "son of the younger one." 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 Youngson (0.05 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 surname Youngson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.