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Young Family History

Young Surname Meaning

English Scottish and northern Irish: nickname from Middle English yong ‘young’ (Old English geong) used to distinguish a younger man from an older man bearing the same personal name (typically father and son). In Middle English this name is often found with the Anglo-Norman French definite article for example Robert le Yunge. In Gaelic-speaking areas of Scotland this was widely used as an English equivalent of the Gaelic nickname Og ‘young’; see Ogg . This surname is also very common among African Americans. Americanized form (translation into English) of various European surnames meaning ‘young’ or similar notably German Jung Dutch Jong and De Jong and French Lejeune and Lajeunesse . Americanized form of Swedish Ljung: topographic or an ornamental name from ljung ‘(field of) heather’ or a habitational name from a placename containing this word e.g. Ljungby. Americanized form of French Guyon reflecting the specific former French Canadian pronunciation of the initial G- followed by a vowel or of one of its altered forms such as Yon Native American: translation into English and shortening of a personal name composed of a word meaning ‘young’ or ‘little’ such as Lakota Sioux Mato Čikala ‘Little Bear’ or ‘Young Bear’ (see Youngbear ). Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 楊 and 陽 see Yang 1 and 7: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 容 see Rong 8: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 翁 see Weng

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Younger, Jung, Tong, Yong, Yount, Yung, Long, Ying, Mount, Yon

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Young family from?

You can see how Young families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Young family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Young families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 837 Young families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 14% of all the recorded Young's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Young families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Young surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Young ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Young. 15% of Young men worked as a Laborer and 8% of Young women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Young were Truck Driver and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Young | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    15%
  • Farmer
    14%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    8%
  • Housewife
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Teacher
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Young family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3 million census records available for the last name Young. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Young census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 436,000 immigration records available for the last name Young. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 564,000 military records available for the last name Young. For the veterans among your Young ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Young lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Young life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Young in 1940 was 35, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Young

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