Explore the Family Name Yang
The meaning of Yang
1. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 楊, meaning ‘poplar’ in Chinese: (i) from the placename Yang (楊, also written as 揚), the name of a state (located in Hongdong in present-day Shanxi province) originally granted to Shang Fu, also known as Yang Hou (楊侯, ‘Marquis of Yang’), son of King Xuan of Zhou (reigned 827–782 BC). The state was annexed by the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). Later some descendants from the state adopted 楊 as the surname while others adopted 揚 (another written form) as the surname. (ii) from Yang Hou (楊侯) (‘Marquis of Yang’), a title given to Bo Qiao, son of the Duke Wu of Jin (known as Duke Wu of Quwo, 754–677 BC). (iii) from the Mo Hu Lu (莫胡盧) and Yu Chi (尉遲) families, members of the Xianbei ethnic group, who changed their original surnames to Yang (楊) during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). (iv) traced back to certain other minority ethnic groups in ancient northern and southern China. 2. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 陽, referring to ‘yang’ in Chinese philosophy: (i) from Yang (陽), the name of an ancient state (located in present-day Shandong province). After it was annexed by the state of Qi (located in present-day Shandong province) in about 676 BC, people from the state adopted 陽, the name of the state, as their surname. (ii) from the placename Yang Fan (陽樊), the name of a fief (located in Jiyuan in Henan province) granted to the youngest son of King Jing of Zhou (died 520 BC). (iii) from Yang (陽), the name of a fief (located in Shishou in Hubei province) granted to Gai (died 519 BC), a prince and an official in the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). 3. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 羊, meaning ‘goat’ in Chinese: (i) from Yang Ren (羊人), the name of an official post during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC) in charge of sacrifices. (ii) shortened form of the compound surname Yang-She (羊舌), which was originally the name of a fief (located in present-day Hebei province) granted to an official in the state of Jin (located in present-day Shanxi province) called Tu, the great-grandson of the Duke Wu of Jin (ruler of the state of Jin, reigned 716–677 BC). Tu’s descendants adopted the placename Yang She (羊舌) as their surname and later shortened it to 羊. 4. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 養, meaning ‘feed’ in Chinese: habitational name from the placename Yang (養), the name of a fief (located in Shenqiu in Henan province) in the state of Chu, granted to Yan Yu and Zhu Yong, former princes of the state of Wu (located mainly in present-day Jiangsu and Anhui provinces). 5. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 仰, meaning ‘face upward’ in Chinese: (i) from the personal name of Yang (卬), style name of a prince of the state of Qin (located in present-day western Shaanxi province), son of King Hui of Qin (ruler of the state of Qin, died 311 BC). 卬 was changed to 仰 and Yang’s descendants inherited it as their surname. (ii) from the personal name of Yang Yan (仰延), a musician who lived during the reign of the legendary Emperor Shun (c.23rd century bc). 6. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 揚, meaning ‘waving’ in Chinese, see 1(i). 7. Southeast Asian (Hmong): from the name of the Yang clan of the Hmong people in Laos, China, and Vietnam; in Chinese characters it is written 楊 (see 1 above). Compare Ya 2. 8. Southeast Asian (Iu Mien): from the name of the Yang clan of the Iu Mien people from Laos. 9. Korean: there are four Chinese characters used for the Yang surname, but only two are common enough to consider here; they have between them eight clans. The founding ancestor of the Ch’ŏngju Yang clan was Chinese and stayed in Korea after escorting Koryŏ, King Kongmin’s future queen to Korea. The first historical ancestor of the Cheju Yang clan was a Shilla figure named Yang T’ang, but according to legend, his distant ancestor was one of three men who ascended from a cave on the north side of Cheju Island’s Halla Mountain. These three men were the founders of the Yang, Pu, and Ko clans. The legendary founder of the Yang clan was named Yang Ŭl-la. Some days after their emergence, a box washed up on the shore of the island. In the box were three women, horses, cows, and agricultural seed. From these beginnings, the three established Cheju’s T’amnaguk kingdom and ruled peacefully for 900 years. Later, descendants of the three men settled throughout Korea, although 40 percent of the Yang clan still live on Cheju island and in Chŏlla province. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Mai, Chue, Chia, Chang, Chong, Ming, Mee, Wei, Hong, Jae, Kao, Tong, Yia, Chao, Seung. Southeast Asian Pao, Neng, Vang, Yer, Pang, Youa, Doua, Shoua, Koua, Yeng, Dang, Thao, Bao.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Yang in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Yang has seen a significant increase in popularity over the past decade. In 2000, Yang was the 397th most common surname, whereas by 2010 it had climbed to the 290th position, marking an impressive rise of 26.95%. The count of people bearing the surname also increased from 72,627 in 2000 to 106,033 in 2010, a growth of 46%. Consequently, the proportion of individuals with this surname per 100,000 people also rose from 26.92 to 35.95 during the same period, reflecting a change of 33.54%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #397 | #290 | 26.95% |
| Count | 72,627 | 106,033 | 46% |
| Proportion per 100k | 26.92 | 35.95 | 33.54% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Yang
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Yang, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, is primarily Asian/Pacific Islander. In 2000, 95.03% of individuals with the surname were of this ethnicity, and this figure slightly increased to 96.81% by 2010, reinforcing the strong Asian/Pacific Islander connection. Meanwhile, there was a substantial decrease (-57.02%) in the percentage of individuals identifying as two or more races, from 3.49% in 2000 to 1.50% in 2010. The proportion of White and Hispanic individuals sharing the surname grew modestly, with increases of 8.42% and 28.57% respectively. The percentage of Black individuals with the surname Yang also saw a moderate increase of 53.85%, although they constitute a smaller group. American Indian and Alaskan Native representation among those with the surname experienced a 50% decrease, albeit from a very small base.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 95.03% | 96.81% | 1.87% |
| Two or More Races | 3.49% | 1.5% | -57.02% |
| White | 0.95% | 1.03% | 8.42% |
| Hispanic | 0.35% | 0.45% | 28.57% |
| Black | 0.13% | 0.2% | 53.85% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.04% | 0.02% | -50% |
Yang ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Yang is Chinese, which comprises 80.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Korean (8.7%) and Chinese Dai (3.0%). Additional ancestries include Manchurian & Mongolian, Vietnamese, British & Irish, French & German, and Indonesian, Thai, Khmer & Myanma.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 80.3% |
| Korean | 8.7% |
| Chinese Dai | 3.0% |
| Other | 8.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Yang
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Yang have recent ancestry locations in China and Taiwan.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Guangdong, China | 40.90% |
| Jiangsu, China | 40.70% |
| Zhejiang, China | 40.40% |
| Shanghai, China | 40.30% |
| Shandong, China | 40.30% |
What Yang haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Yang is O-F46, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F46 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-F8 and O-CTS2498, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Li, Chang, Zhang, Wang, Liu, Chen, Wu, Zhou, Lu, Xu.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Yang surname are: A4, B5a1, M7b. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to many of the Massim groups of Papua New Guinea
Haplogroup O2a is prevalent among Massim ethnic groups, including the populations of Airara, Nomanby, the eastern tip of the mainland, the Trobriand Islands, Gawa, Woodlark, the Laughland Islands, and western Calvados. While Papua New Guinea has been inhabited for over 50,000 years, the Massim may have arrived in the last 2,000 years. Today, these populations remain connected through a traditional island trading system called the Kula Ring. Under this exchange system, residents ensure that goods that are only available on some islands, but that are vitally needed in other islands, are shared among the island populations. Only Massim men participate in the Kula exchange system, and it is common for men to be away from home for months at a time when trading with men from other islands.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to the builders of the Terracotta Army
Qin Shi Huang, who unified warring states to become the First Emperor of China and founded the Qin Dynasty, ruled the Chinese state of Qin from 247 BC to 210 BC. In addition to his political feats, his reign is known for the massive construction projects, including his mausoleum in the Shaanxi province of central China, which began construction in 246 BC. To aid him in the afterlife, 8,000 perfectly life-like soldiers were crafted out of molds and clay and placed at guard over his tomb: his own Terracotta Army.An estimated 700,000 workers were involved in the mausoleum construction alone, and in 2003, hundreds of skeletal remains were unearthed near the mausoleum. Curious about the ethnic origins of these men, a group of Chinese scientists decided to examine their maternal haplogroups. They found that some of these workers belonged to haplogroup A, and that the group had come from a variety of places across East Asia.
What do people with the surname Yang have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Yang" Surname 28.0%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Yang" Surname 26.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Yang" Surname 15.8%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Yang" Surname 6.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Yang?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Yang are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition