Explore the Family Name Yoder
The meaning of Yoder
Americanized form of Swiss German Joder: from a shortened form of the personal name Theodor(us) (see Theodore). This was the name of the patron saint of western Switzerland. Compare Yother and Yotter. History: Many of the Yoders are Swiss Mennonites (Amish) originating from the canton of Bern. Their surname, which is one of the two most common names among the Mennonites and Amish (the other is Miller), is also spelled Yother, Yothers, and Yotter. Several (possibly first) Mennonite Yoders arrived in PA in 1742, while the first of their namesakes belonging to the Reformed Church came to PA several decades earlier, already.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Yoder in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Yoder has seen a significant increase between the years 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Yoder was ranked as the 707th most popular surname in the United States, but by 2010 it had climbed to the 598th spot, marking an impressive 15.42% increase in its rank. The number of individuals bearing this surname also spiked during this period, with the count escalating from 44,245 to 56,410 – a rise of 27.49%. The proportion of people named Yoder per 100,000 people also grew by 16.59%, going from 16.4 to 19.12.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #707 | #598 | 15.42% |
| Count | 44,245 | 56,410 | 27.49% |
| Proportion per 100k | 16.4 | 19.12 | 16.59% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Yoder
In terms of ethnicity based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the majority of those bearing the Yoder surname identified as White, accounting for 98.11% and 97.77% in 2000 and 2010 respectively. During these years, there were slight increases in the percentage of Yoders identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, and Hispanic. The Asian/Pacific Islander population saw a rise of 27.78%, while the Black and Hispanic populations increased by 35.71% and 36.76% respectively. There was also a slight uptick in Yoders who identified as belonging to two or more races (from 0.71% to 0.73%). Conversely, there was a decrease of 16.67% in the American Indian and Alaskan Native population.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 98.11% | 97.77% | -0.35% |
| Hispanic | 0.68% | 0.93% | 36.76% |
| Two or More Races | 0.71% | 0.73% | 2.82% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.18% | 0.23% | 27.78% |
| Black | 0.14% | 0.19% | 35.71% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.18% | 0.15% | -16.67% |
Yoder 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 Yoder is French & German, which comprises 59.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (25.8%) and Eastern European (4.0%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 59.9% |
| British & Irish | 25.8% |
| Eastern European | 4.0% |
| Other | 10.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Yoder
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 Yoder have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 71.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 71.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 71.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 71.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 70.80% |
What Yoder 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 Yoder is I-Y7280, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-Y7280 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include I-M223 and I-Z190, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Friday, Zimmerman, Timmerman, Carpenter, Martin, Donlon, Morgenstern, Donner, Morford, Morabito.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Yoder surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Yoder 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.
"Yoder" Surname 42.9%
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.
"Yoder" Surname 29.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Yoder" Surname 20.8%
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.
"Yoder" Surname 16.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Yoder?
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 Yoder are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition