Young Surname

Meaning and origin of the surname Young

Descriptive nickname derived from Middle English yonge (Old English geong, 'young'), historically bestowed to distinguish the younger of two individuals bearing the same given name (such as a junior son or nephew).

Historically and linguistically, Young belongs to the English, Scottish and German family of surnames. It is conventionally pronounced "YUHNG".

United States Census frequency and ranking

In the official 2010 United States Census, Young was recorded 484,447 times, ranking as the 32nd most common surname in the nation.

This represents an incidence rate of approximately 164.23 bearers per 100,000 Americans, or roughly 1 out of every 609 residents.

Race and ethnicity distribution

According to official decennial Census genealogy microdata, individuals bearing the surname Youngreported the following racial and ethnic affiliations in the 2010 US Census:

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census Surnames Data. Percentages may not sum to exactly 100% due to independent rounding or suppression of small cell counts for privacy protection.

History of the surname Young

Young originated in the Old English adjective geong ('young'), corresponding to Dutch jong and German jung. In medieval English villages, where a limited pool of baptismal names like John, William, or Thomas was shared among multiple generations within the same family, nicknames were essential for legal and tax identification. Young distinguished the junior family member from the senior (corresponding to modern 'junior').

The surname was widely documented across Scotland from the thirteenth century forward (John Yhung in 1271 in Dunfermline). In the United States, Young also frequently served as an Anglicization of foreign cognate surnames, including German Jung and French Lejeune, as well as an Anglicized romanization of the prominent East Asian surnames Yang (Chinese) and Yeong (Korean).

Present from early colonial settlements in Virginia and New England, Young was borne by religious leader Brigham Young (1801–1877) and pioneer jazz saxophonist Lester Young. In the 2010 United States Census, Young ranked as the 32nd most common surname in the country, recorded 484,447 times (164.23 per 100,000 Americans).

Notable people with the surname Young

• Neil Young (1945–), Canadian-American singer-songwriter and rock musician
• Brigham Young (1801–1877), American religious leader and second president of the LDS Church
• Cy Young (1867–1955), American Major League Baseball pitcher with 511 career wins, namesake of Cy Young Award
• Lester Young (1909–1959), American jazz tenor saxophonist known as Pres