2000
#8,663
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,495
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.30
Rare Last name
Yaeger
A German occupational surname referring to a hunter or gamekeeper, derived from the Middle High German word "jeger".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,906 Americans carry the last name Yaeger. That puts it at #9,197 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 87,751 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yaeger 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
3.9K
1 in 87,751
Census rank
#9,197
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,406 bearers of the surname Yaeger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9197th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yaeger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yaeger
The surname Yaeger has its origins rooted in the German language, tracing back to regions within modern-day Germany during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "jeger," meaning "hunter" or "huntsman." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been individuals engaged in hunting activities, either as a profession or as a means of sustenance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Yaeger can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. This record mentions an individual named "Henricus Yeger" in the year 1287, indicating the presence of the name in this region during that time period.
As the surname spread across different regions, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged. Some notable examples include Jäger, Jeger, and Yäger, each reflecting the linguistic nuances and regional dialects of the areas where the name was adopted.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Yaeger. One such figure was Johann Wolfgang Jaeger (1647-1720), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of astronomy during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Another prominent bearer of the name was Georg Friedrich Jaeger (1785-1866), a German entomologist and naturalist renowned for his extensive work on insect classification and taxonomy.
In the realm of literature, the name Yaeger is associated with the German writer and philosopher Ernst Jünger (1895-1998), whose works explored themes of war, technology, and the human condition. His writings, such as "Storm of Steel" and "The Glass Bees," garnered widespread acclaim and influence in the 20th century.
The name Yaeger has also been carried by notable figures in other fields, such as Robert Jaeger (1888-1954), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Texas, and Werner Jaeger (1888-1961), a renowned German classical philologist and scholar of ancient Greek philosophy.
While the surname Yaeger has its roots in German-speaking regions, it has since spread across various parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. The name continues to be borne by individuals of diverse backgrounds, reflecting its rich historical legacy and the enduring impact of its bearers throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yaeger
Among Census respondents with the surname Yaeger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Yaeger 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 Yaeger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 3,135
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 135
- Two or more races2.3% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 28
- Black or African American0.6% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yaeger
Yaeger 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
#9,212
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,537
+42 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Down 549 places
2020
#9,197
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,406
-131 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Up 15 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,663 | 3,495 | 1.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,212 | 3,537 | 1.20 | +42 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 549 places |
| 2020 | #9,197 | 3,406 | 1.14 | -131 bearers (-3.7%) | Up 15 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 Yaeger 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 | #9,212 | #9,197 | 0.2% |
| Count | 3,537 | 3,406 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.20 | 1.14 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yaeger bearers went from 3,537 to 3,406 (-3.7% change). The surname moved up 15 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,212 to #9,197.
FAQ
Yaeger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yaeger?
Name Census estimates that about 3,906 living Americans carry the surname Yaeger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 87,751 residents.
How common is Yaeger?
Yaeger ranks #9,197 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,406 people with the surname Yaeger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,906), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Yaeger.
Has Yaeger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yaeger went from 3,537 recorded bearers to 3,406. That is a decrease of 131 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,212 to #9,197.
What does the Census say about the background of Yaeger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yaeger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Yaeger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (3,135 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yaeger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Yaeger (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 Yaeger mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a hunter or gamekeeper, derived from the Middle High German word "jeger". 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 Yaeger (1.14 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 common is the surname Yaeger?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Yaeger on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.