Explore the Family Name Yoon
The meaning of Yoon
1. Korean: variant of Yun 1. 2. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 阮, see Ruan 3. 3. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 袁, see Yuan 1. 4. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 容, see Rong 1. 5. Chinese: variant of Yun. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Young, Jung, Sung, Jae, Won, Jong, Sang, Kyung, Yong, Suk, Dong, Kwang. Korean Byung, Chang, Chul, Chong, Jeong, Chung, Dae, Hae, Byung Ho, Nam, Seok, Byung Hoon.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Yoon in the United States?
The surname Yoon has seen a notable increase in popularity based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, it was ranked as the 2,848th most common surname in the United States, and this number jumped to 2,287 by 2010 — a 19.7% change in rank. The count of individuals with the Yoon surname also increased significantly, from 11,563 in 2000 to 15,936 in 2010, showing a growth of nearly 38%. Accordingly, the proportion of Yoons per 100,000 people increased by approximately 26%, from 4.29 to 5.4.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,848 | #2,287 | 19.7% |
| Count | 11,563 | 15,936 | 37.82% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.29 | 5.4 | 25.87% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Yoon
Looking at the ethnic identity of the Yoons, information from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that the majority of them identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. This group made up 95.52% of Yoons in 2000 and increased slightly to 95.89% in 2010. The second largest ethnic identity within the Yoon population is White, although its representation decreased from 2.16% in 2000 to 2.06% in 2010. The percentage of Yoons identifying as two or more races also saw a decline, dropping from 1.61% in 2000 to 1.31% in 2010. On the other hand, the Hispanic portion of Yoons grew by over 28%, but it still only constitutes 0.54% of the total Yoon population as of 2010. Meanwhile, the percentages of Yoons identifying as Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native were either zero or suppressed for privacy reasons in both years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 95.52% | 95.89% | 0.39% |
| White | 2.16% | 2.06% | -4.63% |
| Two or More Races | 1.61% | 1.31% | -18.63% |
| Hispanic | 0.42% | 0.54% | 28.57% |
| Black | 0.29% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Yoon 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 Yoon is Korean, which comprises 90.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (2.6%) and French & German (1.9%). Additional ancestries include Japanese, Chinese, Spanish & Portuguese, Eastern European, and Filipino & Austronesian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Korean | 90.1% |
| British & Irish | 2.6% |
| French & German | 1.9% |
| Other | 5.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Yoon
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 Yoon have recent ancestry locations in South Korea and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Seoul, South Korea | 90.20% |
| Busan, South Korea | 59.50% |
| Daegu, South Korea | 51.90% |
| Gyeongsangnam Do, South Korea | 49.20% |
| Gyeongsangbuk Do, South Korea | 44.30% |
What Yoon 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 Yoon is C-F2613, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup C-F2613 is descended from haplogroup C-M217. Other common haplogroups include O-CTS723 and C-M217, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Yun, Yoo, Kim, Cha, Hwang, Han, Kang, Choi, Park, Jin.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Yoon surname are: A5a, R, D4. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins C-M217
Your paternal lineage may be linked to Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan, the Mongolian conqueror that lived from 1162 to 1227 CE, was likely a member of haplogroup C-M217, and may be responsible for the spread of one of its branches. Half of a percent of all men on Earth, and 8% of men in the region reaching from northeastern China to Uzbekistan, may descend from Genghis Khan. His lineage is most common in Hazara, Mongolian, Uygur, Chinese Kazak, and Inner Mongolian Han populations.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to the Han
Members of haplogroup D are found in both northern and southern Han Chinese populations at low to moderate frequencies. The Han people, who all share the same language and similar cultural practices, are the largest ethnic group in the world, with about 1.2 billion people. Historical evidence shows that Han people are descendants of the ancient Huaxia tribes that come from northern China, and Han language and culture only expanded into southern China in the last 2,000 years. The spread of Han people and culture from northern to southern China was likely driven by warfare and famine in the north.
What do people with the surname Yoon 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.
"Yoon" Surname 27.9%
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.
"Yoon" Surname 18.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Yoon" Surname 19.2%
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.
"Yoon" Surname 10.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Yoon?
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 Yoon are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition