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Young Family History

Young Name Meaning

English, Scottish, and northern Irish: distinguishing name (Middle English yunge, yonge ‘young’), for the younger of two bearers of the same personal name, usually distinguishing a younger brother or a son. In Middle English this name is often found with the Anglo-Norman French definite article, for example Robert le Yunge. Americanization of a cognate, equivalent, or like-sounding surname in some other language, notably German Jung and Junk, Dutch (De) Jong(h) and Jong, and French Lejeune and LaJeunesse. assimilated form of French Dion or Guyon. Chinese: see Yang.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


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

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

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.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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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.

Search US census records for Young

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.

View all Young immigration records

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.

View all Young military records

You've only scratched the surface of Young family history

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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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