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Yelk Family History

Yelk Name Meaning

Americanized form of Swiss German Jelk: from a pet form of the personal name Jelle a vernacular short form of an ancient Germanic name composed with the element gelt ‘sacrifice repay’.

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


Similar surnames: Yell, Yeck, Elk, Deck, Zelek, Melko, Beld, Calk, Elo, Gell

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Yelk family from?

You can see how Yelk families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Yelk family name was found in the USA, and the UK between 1880 and 1920. The most Yelk families were found in USA in 1880. In 1880 there were 21 Yelk families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 53% of all the recorded Yelk's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Yelk families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Yelk surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Yelk ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the USA named Yelk. 54% of Yelk men worked as a Farmer. .

View Census Data for Yelk | 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.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    54%
  • Laborer
    27%
  • Farm Laborer
    20%
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What Yelk family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 723 census records available for the last name Yelk. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Yelk census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Yelk

Passenger Lists

There are 20 immigration records available for the last name Yelk. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Yelk immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 124 military records available for the last name Yelk. For the veterans among your Yelk ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Yelk military records

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What is the average Yelk lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Yelk life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1975, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Yelk in 1960 was 57, and 101 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Yelk

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