Young (surname)

The surname Young has several origins.

In some cases – particularly in England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland – the surname is derived from the Middle English yunge, yonge ("young"); this particular surname usually originated to distinguish a younger son.^{[citation needed]}

In Ireland the surname translates into Ó hÓgáin that is a descendant of Ógáin which translates to young, It often translates the Irish surname hogan. It could also be an anglicized version of the surname Ó Maoláin when these Irish immigrants came to English speaking countries their names were usually often anglicized to make them easier for English speakers.

In Scotland it could very likely be an anglicized version for MacEóin which is a Gaelic form of John which can be anglicized to young overtime.

In other cases, the surname is an anglicisation of any number of like-sounding, or cognate surnames in other languages. For example: the German Jung and Junk; the Dutch Jong; in Sweden, Ljung; and the French Lejeune and Lajeunesse. The surname can also be a form of the French Dion or Guyon.

In yet other cases, it is a romanization of Chinese Yang (楊/杨).^[1][2] Very rarely, it may be a romanization of the Korean surnames Yong (용; 龍) or Yeong (영; 永/榮/影); however, if seen in a Korean name, it is far more likely that Young is a portion of the given name instead.^[3]

There have been five baronetcies created for persons with the surname Young, one in the Baronetage of England, one in the Baronetage of Great Britain and three in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. As of 2014 four of the creations are extant. See Young baronets.

Young is the 49th-most common surname in England; 22nd in Scotland and 11th in New Zealand.^[4]

Notable people with this surname include: