DeYoung
A surname meaning “the young one,” often a Dutch or Low German family name that became fixed as De Young, DeJong, or similar forms.
The #4,571 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 39,792 Americans shares it.
Etymology
DeYoung is usually a variant spelling of Dutch or Low German surnames built from de jong, meaning “the young.” In origin it was likely a descriptive byname for a younger man in a family, or for someone distinguished from an older namesake. In North American records, the form was often respelled as one word or with varying spacing and capitalization.
History
This name is especially common among families of Dutch heritage in the United States, where immigrant spellings were often simplified or standardized over time. Related forms such as De Jong, DeJong, and DeYoung can reflect the same underlying name. The surname became established in areas with Dutch settlement and later spread more widely through migration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because de jong simply means “the young,” this is one of those surnames whose original sense is still immediately transparent in Dutch.