NameCensus.

UK surname

Yeo

A Chinese surname meaning "to shine" or "glorious," or an English occupational surname referring to a yeoman farmer.

In the 1881 census there were 1,570 people recorded with the Yeo surname, ranking it #2,697 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,533, ranked #2,611, up from #2,697 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Okehampton, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Devon, North Devon and Torridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Yeo is 2,601 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 61.3%.

1881 census count

1,570

Ranked #2,697

Modern count

2,533

2016, ranked #2,611

Peak year

2014

2,601 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Yeo had 1,570 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,697 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,533 in 2016, ranked #2,611.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,925 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Yeo surname distribution map

The map shows where the Yeo surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Yeo surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Yeo over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,029 #2,718
1881 historical 1,570 #2,697
1891 historical 6 #33,800
1901 historical 1,925 #2,745
1997 modern 2,517 #2,504
1998 modern 2,580 #2,533
1999 modern 2,583 #2,547
2000 modern 2,582 #2,543
2001 modern 2,505 #2,560
2002 modern 2,558 #2,560
2003 modern 2,461 #2,601
2004 modern 2,493 #2,577
2005 modern 2,460 #2,573
2006 modern 2,423 #2,614
2007 modern 2,444 #2,615
2008 modern 2,435 #2,639
2009 modern 2,505 #2,637
2010 modern 2,563 #2,641
2011 modern 2,551 #2,625
2012 modern 2,528 #2,598
2013 modern 2,576 #2,597
2014 modern 2,601 #2,585
2015 modern 2,555 #2,602
2016 modern 2,533 #2,611

Geography

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Where Yeos are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Okehampton, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Swimbridge and Stratton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Devon, North Devon, Torridge and Cornwall. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Okehampton Devon
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Swimbridge Devon
5 Stratton Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Devon 004 West Devon
2 North Devon 012 North Devon
3 Torridge 008 Torridge
4 Cornwall 001 Cornwall
5 North Devon 011 North Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Yeo

These lists show first names that appear often with the Yeo surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Yeo

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Yeo, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Yeo surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Yeo household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Yeo is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Yeo is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Yeo falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Yeo is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Yeo, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Yeo

The surname Yeo is of English origin, deriving from a place name in Somerset, England, believed to have meant "the gated entrance" or "gateway" in Old English. The earliest records of the name date back to the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

One of the earliest known references to the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and wealth across much of England and parts of Wales. The entry mentions a landowner named Willelmus de Io, likely an early spelling variation of Yeo.

By the 13th century, the surname had evolved into its more recognizable modern form, with records showing individuals named Yeo residing in various parts of Somerset and neighboring counties. One notable early bearer of the name was Walter Yeo, a prominent merchant and landowner in Somerset who lived in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.

Over the centuries, the Yeo surname spread across England, with branches of the family establishing themselves in various regions, including Devon, Cornwall, and Gloucestershire. Some notable individuals with the surname Yeo include:

1. Sir Walter Yeo (c.1518-1619), an English soldier and courtier who served under Queen Elizabeth I and is believed to have lived to the remarkable age of 101.

2. Richard Yeo (1584-1659), an English clergyman and author who served as Rector of Freiston in Lincolnshire.

3. James Yeo (1782-1818), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and participated in several significant battles, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

4. Sir James Lucas Yeo (1794-1868), a British naval officer and explorer who served in the War of 1812 and later became a prominent surveyor and explorer in the British colonies.

5. Thomas Yeo (1839-1914), an English-born Australian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly and was involved in various commercial ventures in Melbourne.

While the Yeo surname is found predominantly in England and its former colonies, it has also appeared in various other parts of the world, likely through migration and intermarriage over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Yeo families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Yeo surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Devon leads with 741 Yeos recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.14x.

County Total Index
Devon 741 23.14x
Middlesex 194 1.26x
Cornwall 193 11.08x
Surrey 67 0.89x
Somerset 56 2.26x
Glamorgan 50 1.87x
Lancashire 47 0.26x
Gloucestershire 32 1.06x
Kent 24 0.46x
Berkshire 23 1.99x
Wiltshire 19 1.40x
Hampshire 15 0.48x
Essex 14 0.46x
Monmouthshire 13 1.17x
Yorkshire 12 0.08x
Cheshire 8 0.24x
Pembrokeshire 8 1.64x
Sussex 8 0.31x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.29x
Northamptonshire 5 0.35x
Royal Navy 5 2.73x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.43x
Cumberland 4 0.30x
Dorset 4 0.40x
Hertfordshire 4 0.38x
Northumberland 4 0.17x
Warwickshire 4 0.10x
Carmarthenshire 3 0.46x
Derbyshire 2 0.08x
Lincolnshire 2 0.08x
Oxfordshire 2 0.21x
Durham 1 0.02x
Renfrewshire 1 0.08x
Suffolk 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Plymouth St Andrew in Devon leads with 67 Yeos recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.16x.

Place Total Index
Plymouth St Andrew 67 27.16x
Okehampton 52 430.82x
Stratton 36 380.95x
Swimbridge 36 556.41x
Islington London 34 2.28x
Camborne 31 43.20x
Stoke Damerel 30 13.39x
Milton Damerel 24 956.18x
Bideford 23 67.06x
Marwood 22 517.65x
Tormoham 22 16.24x
Lambeth 21 1.57x
St Winnow 21 352.35x
Barnstaple 19 37.80x
Bermondsey 18 3.93x
Plymouth Charles The 18 12.76x
St Pancras London 18 1.45x
Everton 17 2.92x
Westminster St James 17 10.75x
Bromley London 16 4.73x
Exeter St Sidwell 16 21.82x
Hampstead London 15 6.26x
Abbots Bickington 14 5600.00x
Ealing 14 10.18x
St Marylebone London 14 1.70x
Compton Gifford 13 129.48x
Frome 13 21.95x
Spreyton 13 643.56x
Swansea Town 13 5.92x
West Ham 13 1.94x
Bodmin 12 41.65x
Ilfracombe 12 36.41x
Kensington London 12 1.40x
Morthoe 12 530.97x
Sampford Courtenay 12 250.52x
St Cleer 12 79.47x
Tawstock 12 210.90x
Drewsteignton 11 259.43x
West Swallowfield 11 200.73x
Bampton 10 102.04x
Liskeard 10 34.32x
Mynyddyslwyn 10 22.79x
Portsea 10 1.62x
Cheriton Bishop 9 288.46x
Clifton 9 5.90x
East Stonehouse 9 14.27x
Hatherleigh 9 112.92x
Marhamchurch 9 318.02x
St Giles On The Heath 9 620.69x
Tavistock 9 24.67x
Ashford 8 65.84x
Camberwell 8 0.81x
Cardiff St John 8 9.14x
Dunsford 8 195.60x
Fremington 8 123.08x
Hackney London 8 0.93x
Hartland 8 80.24x
Kilkhampton 8 155.95x
Littleham 8 34.17x
Morebath 8 341.88x
Silverton 8 119.94x
Thornbury 8 487.80x
Thornton In Fylde 8 20.03x
Berry Pomeroy 7 131.83x
Bethnal Green London 7 1.05x
Birkenhead 7 2.59x
Enfield 7 6.94x
Exeter Holy Trinity 7 55.78x
Inwardleigh 7 258.30x
Lewtrenchard 7 429.45x
Loxhore 7 630.63x
Lustleigh 7 362.69x
Lyneham 7 131.58x
Nailsea 7 71.57x
St Veep 7 248.23x
Toxteth Park 7 1.13x
Uphill 7 205.88x
Upton Pyne 7 327.10x
West Down 7 250.00x
Yatton 7 72.61x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Yeo surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Yeo surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 159
John 108
Thomas 76
George 47
James 43
Henry 36
Charles 30
Samuel 28
Richard 24
Alfred 22
Frederick 19
Joseph 16
Walter 13
Albert 11
Edward 11
Frank 11
Ernest 10
Robert 9
Arthur 8
Edwin 8
Francis 8
Daniel 6
Fredrick 6
Isaac 6
Thos. 5
Wm. 4
Benjamin 3
Harry 3
Herbert 3
Sidney 3
David 2
Elias 2
Geo. 2
Gerald 2
Philip 2
Richd. 2
Sydney 2
Willie 2
Absalom 1
Alonza 1
Claude 1
Creema 1
Elizabeth 1
Ephraim 1
F. 1
Fedrick 1
Hewitt 1
Hilary 1
Horatio 1
Hy.J. 1

FAQ

Yeo surname: questions and answers

How common was the Yeo surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,570 people were recorded with the Yeo surname. That placed it at #2,697 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Yeo surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,533 in 2016. That gives Yeo a modern rank of #2,611.

What does the Yeo surname mean?

A Chinese surname meaning "to shine" or "glorious," or an English occupational surname referring to a yeoman farmer.

What does the Yeo map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Yeo bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.