2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Yourdon
A variant spelling of the English surname Yarnton, denoting someone from the small English village of that name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Yourdon. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yourdon 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.
Bearers in the US
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Yourdon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yourdon, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yourdon
The surname Yourdon has obscure origins and is somewhat rare, raising interesting questions regarding its etymology. The name appears to have English roots, emerging during the medieval period. It seems to be locational, possibly derived from places or features named similarly, such as Norton or certain lesser-known locations.
Early derivative forms of the name include variations like Yordon and Yourden. These spellings highlight the fluidity of medieval English orthography, as standardized spelling was not yet established. This variability in spelling often occurred due to regional dialects and the phonetic transcription skills of scribes.
One of the earliest records where a similar name can be found is in the 14th century, in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where the name Richard Yourden appears. Although this mention is relatively obscure, it suggests that the name was already in use during this period, possibly indicating that the bearer or their ancestors came from a place called "Yarden" or something phonetically similar.
In the 16th century, another notable bearer of the surname was Thomas Yourdon, who appears in various parish records in Yorkshire. Born around 1502 and passing away in 1557, Thomas was a landowner whose holdings and local activities placed the family in some of the earliest verifiable historical records for the name.
Another prominent individual was John Yourdon, who lived during the late 17th century. Born in 1665 and passing in 1720, John was a merchant and known for his involvement in local trade networks in England, further establishing the name’s presence in historical documents.
In the early 18th century, Elizabeth Yourdon (1695-1763) comes into the historical record as a notable figure. Elizabeth was known in her community for her charitable works and considerable influence among the local populace, cementing the family name’s positive reputation during that time.
By the 19th century, the name appeared in more widely recognized documents. William Yourdon, born in 1825 and died in 1890, was an industrialist during the early years of the Industrial Revolution in Northern England. His contributions to the textile industry were significant, thereby increasing the prominence of the surname in historical texts.
The surname Yourdon has an enigmatic but traceable presence through centuries, from its obscure medieval beginnings to more distinct appearances in the modern era. The notable bearers of the name over time have contributed to its legacy, ensuring that the name Yourdon is etched in the annals of history through various noteworthy activities and contributions to society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yourdon
Among Census respondents with the surname Yourdon, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Yourdon 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 Yourdon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.1% · 98
- Two or more races12.7% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 3
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yourdon
Yourdon appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+7 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,836 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.3%) | Up 4,836 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 Yourdon 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 | #148,347 | #143,511 | 3.3% |
| Count | 111 | 118 | 6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yourdon bearers went from 111 to 118 (+6.3% change). The surname moved up 4,836 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #143,511.
FAQ
Yourdon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yourdon?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Yourdon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Yourdon?
Yourdon ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 118 people with the surname Yourdon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Yourdon.
Has Yourdon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yourdon went from 111 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 7 (+6.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Yourdon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yourdon, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%). 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 Yourdon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.1% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yourdon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.1%), Two or More Races (12.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%). 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 Yourdon (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 Yourdon mean?
A variant spelling of the English surname Yarnton, denoting someone from the small English village of that name. 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 Yourdon (0.04 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 Yourdon?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.