Show ContentsYoungs History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The origins of the Youngs surname date from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name originated with an early member who was a person who was very young, from the Old English word yong and yung and was first bestowed on the younger of two bearers of the same personal name, usually a son who was named for his father.

Early Origins of the Youngs family

The surname Youngs was first found in Essex, where the first record of the name appears in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as Wilfer seo lunga in 744. Many years later Walter Yonge was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. 1

Another reference lists Hugh le Yunge in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 as residing in Oxfordshire. The same rolls list Ralph le Younge in Staffordshire and later William le Yunge in Northumberland during the reign of Edward I. 2

Down in Devon, Honiton was "for a long period it was very much of a family borough. Members of the Yonge family sat almost continuously from 1640 to 1796." 3

Early History of the Youngs family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Youngs research. Another 117 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1271, 1400, 1405, 1407, 1411, 1413, 1414, 1423, 1425, 1426, 1437, 1455, 1463, 1466, 1467, 1476, 1500, 1516, 1526, 1579, 1603, 1642, 1646, 1649, 1660, 1663, 1721, 1860, 1868 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Youngs History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Youngs Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Youngs has been recorded under many different variations, including Young, Younge, Yonge, Youngson and others.

Early Notables of the Youngs family

Distinguished members of the family include James Yonge (fl. 1423), English translator who belonged to an English family settled in the Irish pale. William Yonge, Archdeacon of Meath from 1407 to 1437, was possibly his brother. "James Yonge was in prison in Trim Castle from January to October 1423, being removed in the latter month to Dublin Castle, and being pardoned on 10 May 1425. A John Yonge was serjeant of the county of Limerick in the reign of Richard II, held a lease of various lands, and was convicted of unspecified felonies. " 4Thomas Yonge (1405?-1476), was an English judge...
Another 135 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Youngs Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Youngs Ranking

In the United States, the name Youngs is the 6,100th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 5

Ireland Migration of the Youngs family to Ireland

Some of the Youngs family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 121 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Youngs migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Youngs or a variant listed above:

Youngs Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Youngs, who arrived in Long Island in 1681 6

Australia Youngs migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Youngs Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. George Youngs, English convict who was convicted in Suffolk, England for life, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 27th May 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Youngs (post 1700) +

  • Youngs Elliott, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Washington, 1832-33 8


The Youngs Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Toujours jeune
Motto Translation: Always young.


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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