Explore the Family Name Yahya

The meaning of Yahya

Muslim: from the personal name Yaḥya, Arabic form of the name John, borne by John the Baptist, son of Zacharias, who is regarded as a prophet in Islam.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Yahya in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Yahya has seen significant growth between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 36,572nd in terms of prevalent surnames within the United States, with a count of 577, equating to approximately 0.21 per 100k people. By 2010, the rank had improved considerably to 22,989th, and the count had nearly doubled to 1,112, or 0.38 per 100k people. This represents a change of 37.14% in rank and a growth of 92.72% in count over the decade.

20002010Change
Rank#36,572#22,98937.14%
Count5771,11292.72%
Proportion per 100k0.210.3880.95%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Yahya

As for the ethnic identity associated with the surname Yahya, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some noticeable shifts between 2000 and 2010. The proportion of those identifying as White increased significantly from 38.13% in 2000 to 57.37% in 2010, marking a 50.46% rise. Meanwhile, the number of people with the surname Yahya identifying as Black also went up by 25.67%, from 12.31% to 15.47%. Conversely, there were considerable drops in the Asian/Pacific Islander and multi-racial categories, with declines of 21.13% and 70.31% respectively. The percentage of individuals identifying as Hispanic fell to zero, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native category remained constant at zero throughout both census periods.

20002010Change
White38.13%57.37%50.46%
Asian/Pacific Islander22.01%17.36%-21.13%
Black12.31%15.47%25.67%
Two or More Races25.13%7.46%-70.31%
Hispanic2.43%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%