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

Yunus, 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 Yunus surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yunus in America

Yunus is the 65244th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yunus surname appeared 304 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Yunus.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yunus 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 Yunus

The surname Yunus has its origins in the Middle East, particularly within the regions that are today known as Turkey, Syria, and Iraq. The name is derived from the Arabic name Yunus, which means "dove" or "peaceful being" and is closely associated with the biblical and Quranic prophet Jonah. This surname carries profound religious and cultural significance due to its connection to the prophet who is revered in both Islamic and Judeo-Christian traditions.

In historic records, the surname Yunus appears in various forms and spellings, including Younis, Yonus, and Unus. These variations often depended on the regional dialects and the transliteration systems in use during different historical periods. For instance, medieval Islamic manuscripts from the Abbasid period, dating back to the 8th and 9th centuries, contain references to individuals bearing this surname, reflecting the diverse linguistic landscape of the Islamic Golden Age.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Yunus is found in Ottoman Empire records from the 15th century. The defter (tax register) of 1485, for instance, lists a Yunus bin Abdurrahman as a notable landowner in the Anatolian region. This documentation highlights the socioeconomic status and prominence of families with this surname during the Ottoman period.

In the literary realm, the 13th-century Persian poet, Yunus Emre, is among the most famous bearers of this surname. Though principally known by this name, it is widely believed that Yunus was both his given name and surname, a common practice in certain cultural contexts of the time. Yunus Emre's poetry has left a lasting legacy in Turkish literature, influencing countless poets and writers over the centuries.

The surname Yunus also appears in historical accounts of Islamic scholars. In the 10th century, Yunus al-Masri was a prominent jurist and theologian in Egypt, widely respected for his interpretations of Islamic law. His works and teachings have been preserved in numerous medieval manuscripts, serving as important references for subsequent generations of Islamic scholars.

In the realm of politics, Ali Yunus, born in 1893, was a significant figure in early 20th-century Lebanese political history. As a member of the Lebanese Parliament, he played a crucial role in the country's efforts to gain independence from French colonial rule. His contributions have been documented in various historical texts that explore the political evolution of Lebanon during that era.

Another notable individual with the surname Yunus is Mahmud Yunus, who was born in 1899. He was an influential Indonesian Islamic scholar and educator, renowned for his works on Islamic education and his efforts to modernize religious teaching methods in Indonesia. His legacy continues to impact the educational landscape in the country.

Through these historical references and notable individuals, the surname Yunus demonstrates a rich tapestry of cultural, religious, and intellectual significance. Its origins and historical usage reflect the varied contributions of those who have carried this name across centuries and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yunus

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!