Explore the Family Name Yazzie
The meaning of Yazzie
Native American (Navajo): from an American English shortened and altered form of a Navajo personal name based on (or just composed of) the word yázhí ‘little (one), small’, also ‘young’, such as Hastiin Yázhí ‘Little Man’, also ‘Short Man’, Anglicized as e.g. Hosteen Yazzie (see Hosteen). Forming the last part of longer names, this particular word was in many cases mistakenly understood by whites to be a surname (see Begay). Yazzie is the second most common surname of Native American origin in general. Compare Little 4 and Shorty 1.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Yazzie in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Yazzie has seen a slight fluctuation in popularity over time. In 2000, it was ranked 2386 in terms of commonality and rose slightly to the rank of 2424 by 2010, reflecting a minor decrease in popularity of 1.59%. However, the actual count of individuals with this surname increased from 13,915 to 14,949 between 2000 and 2010, marking a 7.43% increase. The proportion per 100,000 people slightly dipped from 5.16 to 5.07 during the same period, registering a 1.74% decrease.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,386 | #2,424 | -1.59% |
| Count | 13,915 | 14,949 | 7.43% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.16 | 5.07 | -1.74% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Yazzie
Turning to ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some changes as well. Most notably, there was a significant increase in the percentage of individuals with the Yazzie surname identifying as Hispanic, with the figure doubling from 0.93% in 2000 to 1.95% in 2010. There were also increases among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and those identifying as two or more races. The number of Yazzies identifying as White saw a modest increase, while those identifying as Black decreased slightly. The greatest proportion of Yazzies, however, identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native, although this group saw a decrease from 96.10% in 2000 to 94.56% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 96.1% | 94.56% | -1.6% |
| Hispanic | 0.93% | 1.95% | 109.68% |
| Two or More Races | 1.37% | 1.74% | 27.01% |
| White | 1.44% | 1.58% | 9.72% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.05% | 0.09% | 80% |
| Black | 0.1% | 0.07% | -30% |