This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. Click here for instructions on how to enable it in your browser.
Surname Header Image
Get access to Yoder family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Yoder Family History

Yoder Surname Meaning

Americanized form of Swiss German Joder: from a shortened form of the personal name Theodor(us) (see Theodore).

This was the name of the patron saint of western Switzerland.

Compare Yother and Yotter.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Yoder family from?

You can see how Yoder families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Yoder family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Yoder families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 137 Yoder families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 75% of all the recorded Yoder's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Yoder families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Yoder surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Yoder ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Yoder. 30% of Yoder men worked as a Farmer and 14% of Yoder women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Yoder were Salesman and Housework.

View Census Data for Yoder | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    30%
  • Laborer
    17%
  • Farming
    4%
  • Salesman
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    14%
  • Maid
    9%
  • Housekeeper
    9%
  • Housework
    8%

What Yoder family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 74,000 census records available for the last name Yoder. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Yoder census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Yoder

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Yoder. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Yoder immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 13,000 military records available for the last name Yoder. For the veterans among your Yoder ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Yoder military records

You've only scratched the surface of Yoder family history

Discover More

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Yoder family tree

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial