2000
#707
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 44,245
First available Census row
Per 100,000 16.40
Uncommon Last name
Yoder
A Swiss German occupational surname referring to a potter, from the Middle High German "jude" meaning "pitcher" or "jar."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 74,115 Americans carry the last name Yoder. That puts it at #508 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 21.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 4,625 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yoder 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
74K
1 in 4,625
Census rank
#508
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
21.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
65K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 64,632 bearers of the surname Yoder in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 21.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 508th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yoder, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.4%) and Hispanic (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yoder
The surname Yoder is of German origin, deriving from the given name "Yoder" or "Joder," which is a variant of the Germanic name "Jodocus." This name is believed to have its roots in the Greek name "Iodocus," meaning "praiseworthy." The name Yoder emerged in the late medieval period, with the earliest recorded instances appearing in various German-speaking regions.
The name Yoder can be traced back to the 14th century, with one of the earliest recorded mentions found in the town records of Heidelberg, Germany, in 1369. These records document a "Joder von Worms," indicating a connection to the city of Worms. Throughout the following centuries, the name continued to appear in various German-speaking areas, including Bavaria, Württemberg, and the Palatinate region.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Joder Eberlin von Günzburg (1465-1533) rose to prominence as a German theologian and reformer. He was a vocal critic of the Catholic Church and played a significant role in the early stages of the Protestant Reformation. His writings and sermons influenced many and helped shape the religious landscape of the time.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, many German Anabaptists, including those with the surname Yoder, emigrated to Pennsylvania in search of religious freedom. One of the earliest recorded Yoder families to arrive in America was that of Jost Yoder, who settled in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in 1742. This Yoder family became prominent in the Amish and Mennonite communities of the region.
Another notable figure from this era was Jacob Yoder (1758-1847), a Mennonite minister and writer from Pennsylvania. He authored several religious works and was influential in the Mennonite community of his time. Additionally, Christian Yoder (1757-1831), a Mennonite farmer and minister, played a significant role in the early settlement of Wayne County, Ohio.
In the 19th century, John Yoder (1820-1898) was a prominent Amish leader and bishop in Holmes County, Ohio. He was instrumental in guiding the Amish community through a period of transition and helped establish several Amish settlements in the region.
As the Yoder name spread across various parts of the United States, it became associated with several prominent individuals, including John Howard Yoder (1927-1997), a influential Mennonite theologian and ethicist, and Jerene Yoder (1927-2016), a renowned American quilter and artist.
The surname Yoder has endured through centuries, maintaining its German roots while adapting to various cultural and linguistic influences across different regions. Despite its widespread dispersal, the name has remained closely tied to its Anabaptist and Mennonite heritage, with many notable figures contributing to the rich history and traditions of these communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yoder
Among Census respondents with the surname Yoder, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.4%) and Hispanic (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Yoder 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 Yoder surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.7% · 62,506
- Two or more races1.4% · 912
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 779
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 173
- Black or African American0.2% · 161
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 101
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yoder
Yoder 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
#598
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 56,410
+12,165 bearers (+27.5%)
Per 100,000 19.12
Rank movement Up 109 places
2020
#508
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 64,632
+8,222 bearers (+14.6%)
Per 100,000 21.62
Rank movement Up 90 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #707 | 44,245 | 16.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #598 | 56,410 | 19.12 | +12,165 bearers (+27.5%) | Up 109 places |
| 2020 | #508 | 64,632 | 21.62 | +8,222 bearers (+14.6%) | Up 90 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 Yoder 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 | #598 | #508 | 15.1% |
| Count | 56,410 | 64,632 | 14.6% |
| Per 100K | 19.12 | 21.62 | 13.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yoder bearers went from 56,410 to 64,632 (+14.6% change). The surname moved up 90 positions in the national ranking, going from #598 to #508.
FAQ
Yoder surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yoder?
Name Census estimates that about 74,115 living Americans carry the surname Yoder. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 4,625 residents.
How common is Yoder?
Yoder ranks #508 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 21.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 22 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 64,632 people with the surname Yoder. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (74,115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 21.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 21.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 22 of them to have the surname Yoder.
Has Yoder become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yoder went from 56,410 recorded bearers to 64,632. That is an increase of 8,222 (+14.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #598 to #508.
What does the Census say about the background of Yoder?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yoder, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.4%) and Hispanic (1.2%). 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 Yoder in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.7% (62,506 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yoder appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.7%), Two or More Races (1.4%), Hispanic (1.2%). 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 Yoder (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 Yoder mean?
A Swiss German occupational surname referring to a potter, from the Middle High German "jude" meaning "pitcher" or "jar." 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 Yoder (21.62 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 are called Yoder?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Yoder at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.