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

Yunker, 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 Yunker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yunker in America

Yunker is the 15483rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yunker surname appeared 1,891 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Yunker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yunker 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 Yunker

The surname Yunker has its origins rooted in the German and Dutch languages, emerging from medieval Europe. The name is derived from the Middle High German term "junc herre," which translates to "young lord" or "young nobleman." This term historically signified a young noble who was often a squire or a lord’s apprentice. The Dutch equivalent, "jonker," carries a similar meaning and was indicative of lower nobility, including young aristocrats aspiring to knighthood.

One can trace the early records of the surname Yunker to regions within Germany and the Netherlands. The term’s noble connotation often linked bearers of this name to various familial houses of local and regional significance. In the Holy Roman Empire, the term "junker" described young men in feudal societies who belonged to the landed gentry but held no specific title beyond that. The evolving language variants allowed the name to morph in spelling and pronunciation, leading to records of Yunker, Junger, Junker, and Jonker in different areas.

The Yunker name appears in historical documents dating back to the medieval period, reinforcing its noble affiliation. A reference can be found in an early 14th-century feudal roll from the Rhineland, listing a Hartmann Yunker as a landholder. The German city-states often kept meticulous property records, showing the presence of the Yunker family in regions along the Rhine River.

The name continued to be prominent in historical records in the following centuries. One notable person was Johann Julius Yunker (1646-1732), a German herbalist and physician whose works contributed to early modern medicine. His publications on pharmacology were well-regarded among contemporary European scholars.

In the late 18th century, the Yunker name traveled across the Atlantic, carried by immigrants seeking new opportunities. Hans Peter Yunker, born in 1762, is notable for his role in the early agricultural development in Pennsylvania, USA. His farming techniques and community leadership left a lasting impact on the region's settlement patterns.

Diving further into the 19th century, Christopher Friedrich Yunker (1823-1899) was a German-American businessman who established one of the earliest breweries in Wisconsin. His entrepreneurial spirit helped shape the burgeoning brewing industry in the Midwest, earning him local and regional acclaim.

In the post-medieval era, various spellings of the name evolved, yet the Yunker variation maintained a certain consistency in rural and urban records. Local town archives often reveal the fluctuating presence of the Yunker family, such as in 19th-century municipal records from Heidelberg, Germany. Here, Maria Yunker (1834-1901) was noted for her involvement in local charitable organizations and her efforts in improving education for women in the region.

The Yunker surname encapsulates a rich history, from its noble roots in medieval Europe to its influential bearers who contributed to various fields. Each recorded instance illustrates the name’s evolution and its lasting presence across continents and centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yunker

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

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

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

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