Young (surname)

The surname Young has multiple origins.

In some instances—particularly in England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland—the surname derives from the Middle English ''yunge'' or ''yonge'' ("young"). This form of the surname often originated to differentiate a younger son from other family members.

In Ireland, ''Young'' can be a translation of the Gaelic ''Ó hÓgáin'', meaning "descendant of Ógáin," with Ógáin translating to "young." It often serves as an anglicized form of the Irish surname ''Hogan''. Additionally, it could be an anglicized version of ''Ó Maoláin'', as Irish immigrants frequently had their names modified to be more accessible to English speakers.

In Scotland, ''Young'' could be an anglicized form of ''MacEóin'', which is the Gaelic form of "John." Over time, this Gaelic name may have evolved into the surname ''Young''.

In other instances, the surname ''Young'' is an anglicization of various similar-sounding or cognate surnames from other languages. Examples include the German ''Jung'' and ''Junk'', the Dutch ''Jong'', the Swedish ''Ljung'', and the French ''Lejeune'' and ''Lajeunesse''. Additionally, ''Young'' can be a variant of the French surnames ''Dion'' or ''Guyon''.

In some cases, ''Young'' is a romanization of the Chinese surname ''Yang'' (楊/杨). It may also be a rare romanization of the Korean surnames ''Yong'' (용; 龍) or ''Yeong'' (영; 永/榮/影), though in Korean names, ''Young'' is more commonly part of a given name rather than a surname.

Historically, five baronetcies have been created for individuals 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 these titles remain extant. See Young baronets for more details.

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

Notable individuals with the surname ''Young'' include: Provided by Wikipedia