Yung
A surname meaning “the young” or “the younger,” usually a short form of Young.
The #7,849 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 73,197 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Yung is an English surname that goes back to Middle English yong(e), yung(e), from Old English geong, meaning “young.” It was originally a nickname or byname for the younger of two people with the same personal name, or for someone distinguished as “the young.” In some cases it may also reflect a later spelling of Young or a related regional form.
History
Medieval records show Yung alongside spellings such as Yonge and Young, especially in English sources like Yorkshire and Wiltshire. Later surname dictionaries often treated it simply as a variant of Young, and in modern times it has occasionally been Anglicized from similar-sounding continental names as well. The name remains relatively uncommon in the United States compared with the standard spelling Young.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname writers often grouped Yung directly under Young, treating it as an old spelling rather than a separate surname.
From the historical record
“Yorks Poll-Tax. A.p. 1379. YUNG. V. Young. YUNGER, v. Younger. YUNGLING, V. Youngling. YUNGMAN.V. Youngman. ^ACH, a dim. of Zachary, Zachariah, q.v. ZACHARIAH \ (Heb.) The Lord hath Re- ZACHARY J membered [Heb. Z'Marydh ; f. zdkhar, to remember, and Yah, Jehovah] ZEAL 1 (Eng.) Bel. to Zeal (Devon), a voiced ZEALL 1…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)