Surname Yonce - Meaning and Origin
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Yonce: What does the surname Yonce mean?
The last name Yonce is a type of French surname, which is derived from the ancient region of Yonne in central France. It is likely that those with the Yonce surname originated in Yonne and then later moved to other parts of France or abroad. The name Yonce can also be found in some other European and Middle Eastern countries.
The meaning of the name Yonce is unknown, but it is believed that it is related to the ancient Gauls. The Gauls were a Celtic people who originally inhabited much of what is now France and Germany. It is possible that the name Yonce is related to the word for “onyx”, which references a dark, glossy black gemstone of the same name. Alternatively, it could also come from the Latin word “yunx”, which means "emyx" or "mountain lion".
In modern times, people with the surname Yonce are likely to hail from France or its former colonies. It could refer to anyone of French descent, or to a person of mixed French, German or other cultural heritage. In any case, the name Yonce likely has a strong historical legacy and roots in France with its possible meanings being closely tied to the region and its inhabitants.
Order DNA origin analysisYonce: Where does the name Yonce come from?
The last name Yonce is generally a very uncommon surname, but has pockets of prevalence in certain areas of the country. The most notable locale for the name is in the American Southeast, particularly South Carolina. The Yonce family is quite historically significant to the Palmetto State, as evidenced by the two ancestral homes in Jenkinsville, South Carolina, and Williamsburg County.
In the United States Census of 2010, South Carolina was the highest ranking state for individuals with the Yonce surname, followed by Texas and Virginia respectively, once again indicating to the strong presence of the Yonce family in the South. In South Carolina alone, there were over 220 households with the Yonce name, accounting for well over 800 people.
Apart from the United States, a search of the surname also reveals the presence of the Yonce family is also present in Canada, with some clusters found in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, and Nova Scotia - though at much lower frequencies than in America.
The name Yonce has also spread across Northern Europe, mainly through Norway with 451 occurrences, and Finland, with 349 in the census of 2018.
The surname Yonce has had a long and distinguished presence in the American South, and while its presence is still much greater in this region, its reach has clearly spread across the United States and beyond.
Variations of the surname Yonce
The surname Yonce has a number of variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. Some of the most common include Yonce, Yaunce, Yance, Yauncey, Yaunts, Yonch, Yoncey, Younts, Yowance, Yowatch, Yowancey, Yowaunce and Yowunts.
Yonce is an English surname most likely derived from Middle English yon ‘from that place’, used as a particle with the word yonce meaning ‘yonder once’, and thus used to denote a place (‘yonder’) that was visited at least once. The surname is a topographic name for someone who had traveled to the location indicated by the family name or lived in that place. In some cases, it may also have arisen from an occupational source, as the word yonce could also refer to furnaces used by smelters who heated ore into metal.
Variations of the surname Yonce are found in many nations around the world. In the United States, Yonce is most commonly found in the Southern states, especially in North Carolina and Tennessee. In the United Kingdom, Younce is most common in the counties of Derbyshire and Northumberland. In France, Yonce is most common in the Pyrenees region of Languedoc-Roussillon. In Norway, the surname YAnce is found in Stavanger, while in Germany, the surname Yonce is most common in the area near the Rhine. Yonce is also a popular surname in the Caribbean, where it is found in Jamaica and Trinidad.
Overall, the surname Yonce is found in many communities across the world. It is one of a large number of surnames which have variations and spellings, allowing for different interpretations of the same origin.
Famous people with the name Yonce
- Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, popular singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and dancer
- Kelly Rowland, American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality
- Maurice Yonce, Canadian scholar and professor of North American Studies at the University of Ottawa
- Richard Yonce, US Army veteran of Operation Desert Storm
- Landy Yonce, a full-time farmer from South Carolina
- Glenn Yonce, an aviation pioneer and founder of the Yonce Airlines
- Brian Yonce, film and television screenwriter and producer
- Lisa Yonce, former principal dancer for the Tulsa Ballet Company
- Raymond Yonce, retired US Navy veteran and former staff sergeant
- Garrell Yonce, American football player