Explore the Family Name Yellow
The meaning of Yellow
1. Native American: translation into English (and shortening) of a personal name based on (or just composed of) a word meaning ‘yellow’ (or denoting a similar color of an animal), such as Navajo Hastiin Łitso ‘Yellow Man’ (see Yellowman). 2. English: nickname from Middle English yelewe ‘yellow’ (Old English geolu), referring to the color of the hair or the complexion.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Yellow in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Yellow" increased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 83,618th in terms of popularity, but by 2010 it had climbed to 73,464th, a rise of over 12%. Additionally, the count of people with this last name also grew from 209 in 2000 to 264 in 2010, an increase of more than 26%. The proportion per 100,000 people also increased slightly during this period, from 0.08 to 0.09.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #83,618 | #73,464 | 12.14% |
| Count | 209 | 264 | 26.32% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.08 | 0.09 | 12.5% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Yellow
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the largest ethnic identity associated with the surname "Yellow" is American Indian and Alaskan Native, making up 79.43% in 2000 and growing to 83.33% in 2010. Other smaller groups included those identifying as White (7.18% in 2000, 7.20% in 2010), and those identifying with two or more races (3.83% in 2000, increasing significantly to 5.30% in 2010). The proportion of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander did see a slight increase from 2.87% in 2000 to 3.03% in 2010. However, those identifying as Black or Hispanic, which both stood at 2.87% in 2000, were suppressed in the 2010 data for privacy reasons.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 79.43% | 83.33% | 4.91% |
| White | 7.18% | 7.2% | 0.28% |
| Two or More Races | 3.83% | 5.3% | 38.38% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 2.87% | 3.03% | 5.57% |
| Hispanic | 2.87% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 3.83% | 0% | 0% |