2000
#4,680
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,927
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.57
Uncommon Last name
Yun
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese surname Wen, meaning "literary" or "cultivated."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,909 Americans carry the last name Yun. That puts it at #3,640 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 31,419 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yun 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 Yun with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 31,419
Census rank
#3,640
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.5K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,513 bearers of the surname Yun in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3640th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yun, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the YUN surname was well-established and appeared in various official records and historical documents.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yun
Among Census respondents with the surname Yun, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Yun 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 Yun surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.2% · 8,771
- White3.3% · 318
- Two or more races2.9% · 275
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 107
- Black or African American0.4% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yun
Yun 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
#3,981
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,933
+2,006 bearers (+29.0%)
Per 100,000 3.03
Rank movement Up 699 places
2020
#3,640
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,513
+580 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 3.18
Rank movement Up 341 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,680 | 6,927 | 2.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,981 | 8,933 | 3.03 | +2,006 bearers (+29.0%) | Up 699 places |
| 2020 | #3,640 | 9,513 | 3.18 | +580 bearers (+6.5%) | Up 341 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 Yun 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 | #3,981 | #3,640 | 8.6% |
| Count | 8,933 | 9,513 | 6.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.03 | 3.18 | 5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yun bearers went from 8,933 to 9,513 (+6.5% change). The surname moved up 341 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,981 to #3,640.
FAQ
Yun surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yun?
Name Census estimates that about 10,909 living Americans carry the surname Yun. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 31,419 residents.
How common is Yun?
Yun ranks #3,640 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,513 people with the surname Yun. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,909), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Yun.
Has Yun become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yun went from 8,933 recorded bearers to 9,513. That is an increase of 580 (+6.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,981 to #3,640.
What does the Census say about the background of Yun?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yun, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Yun in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (8,771 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yun appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.2%), White (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Yun (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 Yun mean?
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese surname Wen, meaning "literary" or "cultivated." 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 Yun (3.18 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 Yun?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.