Here are the most common Black or African American last names beginning with Y in the United States.
Our list takes surnames from the 2010 census only if 50% or more holders declared that they were Black.
Of course, many African Americans have surnames that fall below this percentage. We simply use it as a cut-off for this list.
Details Behind The List
The U.S. census of 2010 included a question that asked if the person was Black or another ethnicity (or mix).
Our details include the black percentage in 2010 for each name. The census provides a percentage with two decimal points. We rounded it to a whole number.
We also checked the censuses of 1940 and 1910 for the number of people of each name who were documented as black.
This article uses the terms Black and African American interchangeably.
The public details from the 2010 census do not include nationality so our numbers cannot be exact. Take them as a guide.
Top Twenty Surnames Beginning With Y
These black and African American names have the highest number of entries in the 2010 U.S. census.
The surnames are listed below in order of how common they are.
Yancy
The 2010 census had a total of 4,384 people with the last name Yancy.
About 53% identified as Black or African American.
In the 1940 U.S. census, 1,208 people named Yancy were documented as black.
In the 1900 U.S. census, 1,378 people of this name were documented as black.
Notable figures
George Yancy was born in 1961 in Philadelphia. He was awarded a doctorate in philosophy from Duquesne University in 2005.
He has written extensively on racism and on race. Yancy believes that race is a social construct.
In 2015, the New York Times published an article he wrote called “Dear White America” which addressed what we can call white privilege.
There was quite a reactive backlash from his target audience. This included physical threats. Yancy commented later:
My sense is that I held up a disagreeable mirror to white America and they refused to see themselves in it.
George Yancy interview
Yusuf
The 2010 census had a total of 4,003 people with the last name Yusuf.
About 72% identified as Black or African American.
Nobody of this name was documented as black in the 1900 or 1940 censuses.
Yeboah
The 2010 census had a total of 1,653 people with the last name Yeboah.
About 96% identified as Black or African American.
Nobody of this name was documented as black in the 1900 or 1940 censuses.
Yohannes
The 2010 census had a total of 1,297 people with the last name Yohannes.
About 93% identified as Black or African American.
Nobody of this name was documented as black in the 1900 or 1940 censuses.
Yearby
The 2010 census had a total of 1,087 people with the last name Yearby.
About 76% identified as Black or African American.
In the 1940 U.S. census, 165 people named Yearby were documented as black.
In the 1900 U.S. census, 63 people of this name were documented as black.
Yarbough
The 2010 census had a total of 900 people with the last name Yarbough.
About 76% identified as Black or African American.
In the 1940 U.S. census, 392 people named Yarbough were documented as black.
In the 1900 U.S. census, 87 people of this name were documented as black.
Yeldell
The 2010 census had a total of 712 people with the last name Yeldell.
About 71% identified as Black or African American.
In the 1940 U.S. census, 216 people named Yeldell were documented as black.
In the 1900 U.S. census, 206 people of this name were documented as black.
Yarde
The 2010 census had a total of 686 people with the last name Yarde.
About 68% identified as Black or African American.
In the 1940 U.S. census, 30 people named Yarde were documented as black.
However, there were no black holders of the name in the 1900 U.S. census.
Yussuf
The 2010 census had a total of 634 people with the last name Yussuf. We saw the more common spelling variant of Yusuf (one “s”) earlier.
About 94% identified as Black or African American.
In the 1940 U.S. census, three people named Yussuf were documented as black.
However, there were no black holders of the name in the 1900 U.S. census.
Yelder
The 2010 census had a total of 550 people with the last name Yelder.
About 91% identified as Black or African American.
In the 1940 U.S. census, 132 people named Yelder were documented as black.
In the 1900 U.S. census, 49 people of this name were documented as black.
Yisrael
The 2010 census had a total of 531 people with the last name Yisrael.
About 80% identified as Black or African American.
Nobody of this name was documented as black in the 1900 or 1940 censuses.
Yuille
The 2010 census had a total of 519 people with the last name Yuille.
About 55% identified as Black or African American.
In the 1940 U.S. census, 14 people named Yuille were documented as black.
In the 1900 U.S. census, 51 people of this name were documented as black.
Yemane
The 2010 census had a total of 434 people with the last name Yemane.
About 96% identified as Black or African American.
Nobody of this name was documented as black in the 1900 or 1940 censuses.
Yared
The 2010 census had a total of 405 people with the last name Yared.
About 52% identified as Black or African American.
Nobody of this name was documented as black in the 1900 or 1940 censuses.
Yarn
The 2010 census had a total of 396 people with the last name Yarn.
About 64% identified as Black or African American.
In the 1940 U.S. census, 96 people named Yarn were documented as black.
In the 1900 U.S. census, 25 people of this name were documented as black.
Yilma
The 2010 census had a total of 332 people with the last name Yilma.
About 94% identified as Black or African American.
Nobody of this name was documented as black in the 1900 or 1940 censuses.
Yonas
The 2010 census had a total of 331 people with the last name Yonas.
About 82% identified as Black or African American.
Nobody of this name was documented as black in the 1900 or 1940 censuses.
Yacob
The 2010 census had a total of 317 people with the last name Yacob.
About 52% identified as Black or African American.
In the 1940 U.S. census, 7 people named Yacob were documented as black.
However, there were no black holders of the name in the 1900 U.S. census.
Yorker
The 2010 census had a total of 298 people with the last name Yorker.
About 57% identified as Black or African American.
In the 1940 U.S. census, 54 people named Yorker were documented as black.
In the 1900 U.S. census, 38 people of this name were documented as black.
Yarbor
The 2010 census had a total of 286 people with the last name Yarbor.
About 50% identified as Black or African American.
In the 1940 U.S. census, 89 people named Yarbor were documented as black.
In the 1900 U.S. census, 57 people of this name were documented as black.
