Yazzie
A Navajo surname often linked to a word meaning “little” or “small,” especially in the sense of a nickname or descriptive byname.
The #2,424 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 20,653 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Yazzie is a Navajo surname, usually explained as coming from a Navajo word meaning “little,” “small,” or “young.” In surnames, this kind of form typically began as a descriptive nickname for a smaller person or a younger family member. The exact spelling reflects English-language rendering of Navajo pronunciation rather than a long-standing European-style surname form.
History
Yazzie is now a well-known surname in the Navajo Nation and among Navajo families in the American Southwest. Like many Indigenous surnames recorded in English, it was often fixed in written records during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The name is especially common in Arizona and New Mexico.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Navajo surnames were often standardized by English-speaking record keepers, the same family line can sometimes appear in older records with slight spelling differences.