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You Family History

You Surname Meaning

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 游 meaning ‘section of a river’ or ‘to swim’ in Chinese: (i) from the second element of the personal name Zi You (子游) style name of Yan son of the Duke Mu of Zheng (ruler of the state of Zheng 648–606 BC). (ii) borne by descendants of Cheng Shi also known as Huan Shu of Quwo (802–731 BC) younger brother of the Marquis Wen of Jin (ruler of the state of Jin 805–746 BC).

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 尤 meaning ‘outstanding’ in ancient Chinese: (i) possibly from You (尤) the name of a river (located in present-day Shandong province) in the state of Qi. (ii) adopted in place of the Chinese surname Shen (沈) by people in Fujian during the reign of the Min emperor Wang Shen Zhi (王審知) (862–925 AD) who established the Min Kingdom during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (907–960 AD) because the surname Shen (沈) shared the same pronunciation of Shen (審) part of the personal name of the emperor which was taboo in ancient China.

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 由 meaning ‘sprout’ or ‘reason’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from the first element of the personal name You Yu (由余) the name of a prime minister in the state of Qin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (ii) from the first element of the personal name You Yu (由于) the name of a revered man in the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC) known for his loyalty and bravery. (iii) said to be traced back to Yang You Ji (養由基) an official in the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC).

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 有 meaning ‘have’ in Chinese: (i) from You (有) the name of an ancient state (possibly located in Hennan province) during the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). (ii) said to be traced back to You Chao Shi (有巢氏) a legendary leader prior to the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC).

Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 邱 and 丘. See Qiu 1 and Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 姚 see Yao 7: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 楊 see Yang 8: Korean: variant of Yu 20.

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


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Where is the You family from?

You can see how You families moved over time by selecting different census years. The You family name was found in the USA, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most You families were found in USA in 1880. In 1841 there were 6 You families living in Fife. This was 100% of all the recorded You's in Scotland. Fife had the highest population of You families in 1841.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the You surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your You ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named You. 100% of You women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for You | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What You family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name You. Like a window into their day-to-day life, You 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 8,000 immigration records available for the last name You. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name You. For the veterans among your You ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average You lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, You life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1987, and highest in 1975. The average life expectancy for You in 1962 was 68, and 74 in 2004.

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An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your You ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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