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

Yun, 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 Yun surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yun in America

Yun is the 3981st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yun surname appeared 8,933 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Yun.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yun 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 Yun

The surname YUN has its origins in China and can be traced back to the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). It is believed to have originated from the ancient Chinese word "yún" which means "cloud" or "mist." The name was likely derived from a topographical feature or a place name associated with clouds or misty conditions.

During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the YUN surname was well-established and appeared in various official records and historical documents. One notable example is the "Jiu Tang Shu" (Old Book of Tang), which mentions several individuals with the surname YUN who held prominent positions in the imperial court.

In the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), a branch of the YUN family migrated to the southern region of China and settled in the area now known as Guangdong province. This is evidenced by the presence of YUN ancestral shrines and genealogical records in cities like Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

The earliest recorded instance of the YUN surname can be traced back to the 3rd century AD, when a scholar named YUN Zhongyi (207-280 AD) rose to prominence during the Three Kingdoms period. He is renowned for his work in promoting Confucian ideals and his contributions to the field of philosophy.

Another notable figure was YUN Guang (512-596 AD), a Buddhist monk and scholar who played a significant role in the propagation of Buddhism in China during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. He is credited with translating numerous Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Chinese.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the YUN surname gained further prominence with the birth of YUN Shouping (1633-1690), a renowned painter and calligrapher who was highly celebrated for his artistic talents and his mastery of the "literati painting" style.

In the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), YUN Zhen (1866-1924) was a prominent military leader and statesman who played a crucial role in the Xinhai Revolution, which eventually led to the establishment of the Republic of China.

Another notable figure is YUN Gong (1899-1952), a celebrated poet and novelist who was part of the influential "Crescent Moon" literary movement in the early 20th century. His works are widely regarded as masterpieces of modern Chinese literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yun

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

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

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

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