2000
#10,421
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,833
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.05
Rare Last name
Yon
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese surname Ren, meaning "benevolence, humanity or kindness."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,168 Americans carry the last name Yon. That puts it at #10,993 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 108,193 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yon 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 Yon with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 108,193
Census rank
#10,993
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,763 bearers of the surname Yon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10993rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yon, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (15.3%) and Black (13.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yon
The surname Yon originated in France in the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "ion," which meant "going" or "traveling." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who frequently traveled or migrated.
In the early records, the name appeared with various spellings, such as Yon, Yons, Yon, and Youn. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled as "Youn."
The Yon family was primarily concentrated in the northern regions of France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Brittany. Some of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname include Robert Yon, who lived in Rouen, Normandy, in the late 12th century, and Jean Yon, a merchant from Brittany who was mentioned in a document dated 1289.
During the Middle Ages, the name Yon was also associated with several notable figures. One such person was Étienne Yon, a French clergyman who served as the Bishop of Tréguier in Brittany from 1420 to 1439. Another prominent individual was Pierre Yon (1439-1504), a French scholar and theologian who taught at the University of Paris.
In the 16th century, the Yon family spread to other parts of Europe, including England and Scotland. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in England was William Yon, who was born in Somerset in 1542. In Scotland, the Yon family settled in the Highlands, and one notable member was Sir John Yon (1624-1693), a Scottish soldier who fought in the English Civil War.
Other notable individuals with the surname Yon include Jacques Yon (1663-1718), a French painter known for his landscapes and portraits, and Jean-Claude Yon (1698-1764), a French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris.
Over the centuries, the Yon family continued to contribute to various fields, including the arts, sciences, and military. However, it is important to note that these are just a few examples, and there may have been many other significant figures with this surname throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yon
Among Census respondents with the surname Yon, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (15.3%) and Black (13.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Yon 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 Yon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.6% · 1,564
- Asian and Pacific Islander15.3% · 424
- Black or African American13.8% · 382
- Hispanic or Latino9.2% · 255
- Two or more races4.5% · 123
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yon
Yon 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
#10,748
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,969
+136 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 327 places
2020
#10,993
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,763
-206 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Down 245 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,421 | 2,833 | 1.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,748 | 2,969 | 1.01 | +136 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 327 places |
| 2020 | #10,993 | 2,763 | 0.92 | -206 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 245 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 Yon 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 | #10,748 | #10,993 | -2.3% |
| Count | 2,969 | 2,763 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.01 | 0.92 | -8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yon bearers went from 2,969 to 2,763 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 245 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,748 to #10,993.
FAQ
Yon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yon?
Name Census estimates that about 3,168 living Americans carry the surname Yon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 108,193 residents.
How common is Yon?
Yon ranks #10,993 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.92 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 2,763 people with the surname Yon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,168), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.92 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 Yon.
Has Yon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yon went from 2,969 recorded bearers to 2,763. That is a decrease of 206 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,748 to #10,993.
What does the Census say about the background of Yon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yon, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (15.3%) and Black (13.8%). 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 Yon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.6% (1,564 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (56.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (15.3%), Black (13.8%). 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 Yon (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 Yon mean?
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese surname Ren, meaning "benevolence, humanity or kindness." 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 Yon (0.92 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 Yon?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.